Love Hina: Blademasters
by BetweenheavenandHell
Summary: Promises are a funny thing, they always have a way of coming back when you least expect them... even when you don't remember them
1. Prologue: Reunited

Love Hina: Blademasters 

_**Set before the final chapter of book 14 ie: in the four years before the wedding. **_

_**Motoko: 18**_

_**Koichi: 18**_

_**Shinobu and Su: 16**_

_**Naru: 20**_

_**Kitsune: 21**_

_**Keitaro: 23**_

_**Mutsumi: 24**_

Prologue: Reunited 

"Can't you ever be serious!", Motoko yelled at the black-clad form perched upon the flat of her blade. This proved her earlier assumptions about the new house guest. Firstly he was a Ki adept, and judging by the lack of noticeable weight on the blade, he must be exerting an incredible amount of spiritual strength to achieve a form of semi-levitation.

Secondly he was clearly a fool. As impressive as his little manoeuvre was, he had dropped his own blade in the process, leaving him unarmed and a simple wrist-flick away from a sound stabbing.  
"Hmmmm", he said, putting a finger to his chin as if genuinely considering her earlier outburst, before smiling lopsidedly and replying, "Nope, guess not".

"Grrrhhhh!" she raged in spite of herself, this man surpassed the Keitaro of the early days in terms of annoyance, talented but cocky to a fault.

Throwing form aside she hurled him bodily to the ground using his 'perch'.

"Hey!" he complained, his grin never slipping even as he impacted "wasn't that a little sloppy for you?"

Motoko's eyebrow twitched dangerously even as another idea slipped into her opponent's mind. Perhaps Kitsune was right, perhaps he really was a masochist, but he figured: _What the hell_.

"Not that I mind", he said casually, resting on his elbows even as his survival instinct caught wind of his intention and screamed a heart felt: _Flee you fool! You know not your peril!_.

"You know how I love it when you get rough with me Motoko-_chan_", he finished with his best smile.

Tsurko would have been proud of the fear inducing demon-glare her younger sister gave her upstart of an opponent.

"Err", he said showing uncertainty for the first time since the fight began, while his survival instinct hung it's figurative head and wept, giving him a pretty clear idea what was coming next.

"Hey, I think I may have-"

"Silence! _Boulder cutting blade!_"

* * *

I suppose I should explain how this moment arrived. To do that we must travel three weeks into the past. Not a large leap, but certainly a significant one…well, you'll understand.

* * *

A gentle breeze carries whimsically over a large, red roofed building, it's gentleness carrying the rambunctious sounds within to the world outside. Strange how many of these noises centred around a cry of "Pervert!", followed by an almost female scream, but the wind didn't mind. It didn't even really mind the rapidly moving, airborne dorm manager that disturbed it's lazy meandering as he seemingly attempted human powered flight, sans any means of staying aloft.  
This rather strange encounter did however alter its path, sending it into a downward spiral and through the nearest sakura tree, gathering a few blossoms in its wake as it struggled to maintain momentum.

These petals danced excitedly on the breeze, revelling in their unexpected freedom as the wound their way down the stairs of the Hinata Sou.

The playful dance of one such petal came to an abrupt halt as it was snagged from the air by a hand partially covered by black material.

The owner of the hand turned the petal over between his fingers before releasing it to return to it's brethren.

_Just like the old woman said_, he smiled a lopsided grin, one that faded slightly as he looked at the stairs before him.

"Wow, she really wasn't kidding about these stairs either", he sweat-dropped, starting up the seemingly endless steps.  
A few minutes and a minor sweat storm later he had reached the top. _Jeez it's hot_ he groused mentally, then again he was wearing all black in this freakish heat wave, that probably didn't help, in fact he thought he may be dehydrated, he was almost sure he saw a man fly by over head a few minutes ago and that didn't bode well. Then again what were his choices he thought sheepishly, remembering the exact contents of the duffle bag he had slung over one shoulder…. All of it black….

Maybe his sister was right, maybe he did need to think about expanding his wardrobe a tad.

He stopped at the head of the stairs to gaze in awe at the building before him. It was like some fairytale mansion, it was huge and enchanting at once.

"Cool", he said giving the building a low whistle of approval.

Stepping up to the front door and sliding it aside, he couldn't help but think _So quiet, I think I'll like it here_.

* * *

Kitsune awoke groggily. Then again, there weren't many other ways one can awake having drunk enough sake to kill anyone else. The dorms resident fox yawned lazily and sprawled amongst her already twisted covers while peering around blurrily for a clock.

12:00am

She was shocked, what the hell was she doing up so early! She had heard that this time existed, but always thought it a myth.

Kitsune groped blindly for the bottle she had left near her bed last night, she needed to steady her nerves after this shock.

Her hands found only air.

There was a mischievous giggle from nearby, even without cracking one slit like eye she knew who that laugh belonged to.

She looked up and sure enough, there was Su, Kitsune's prize bottle of Sake in hand and a wide grin plastered over her face.

_So I get to be her play mate today huh?_, Kitsune thought irritably, _Oh goody_

With Su's favourite plaything, Motoko attending her first classes at Tokyo U along with Naru, Keitaro and Mutsumi, and with Shinobu presumably out and Sara AWOL with Seta and Haruka, it seemed the energetic young girl was bored and looking for some fun, meaning she had Kitsune's Sake and intended for a lengthy chase to ensue before it was returned.

Kitsune knew from experience that even if she ignored her, Su would just scamper around her room until she found something that _would_ rouse her.

"Hey Su", Kitsune said casually, using the same voice she always used to blindside Motoko and Naru, "I thought you'd be at school?"

"Nah", the foreign girl replied happily, tucking the bottle under one arm and grinning wider, "We had the day off, repairs or something".

Kitsune had no doubt that those repairs were linked to the noises coming from Kaolla's room a few days ago in someway.

"Uh-huh, say, I was just-"

Kitsune made a dive for Su and the bottle.

Su squealed happily as she hopped over the older girl with practiced ease and took off laughing down the hallway.

"Damn it Su", Kitsune muttered, unaware of her own grin, "Give me back that bottle!"

* * *

The black-clad young man dumped his duffle bag and _other_, possession on the couch and looked around idly. Nice enough setup, a little plain compared to the outside of the building but still pretty.

"Hello?" he called, waiting for an answer and receiving none before trying again but louder.

Still no answer.

_Perhaps I should look around?_

'_look around an all girls dorm'_, part of his brain enquired sarcastically.

_Sure, who knows what interesting things I might see_, he thought with a smirk

'_I have nothing to do with this'_, his brain replied, but then again, when did it ever.

Smiling at his own candour, he took a step toward the stairs, instinct telling him the most interesting things would be up there.

He wasn't disappointed.

As he approached the stairs he heard a crash, followed by a yelp…. And was that someone blowing a raspberry?

"Damn it Su!"

"Phfffft!"

He look up curiously as the banister above him creaked dangerously, to see a tanned girl with brilliant blond hair, vibrant green eyes and an infectious grin descending toward him rapidly, clutching a large bottle of sake.

He opened his arms casually, catching her before she struck the ground.

"Omphhh" he said, staggering slightly, this girl was heavy for one so small and slender looking.

"Huh?", she said, as if confused as to why she hadn't hit the ground yet, "Oh, hi!"

"Hey", he said, slightly confused by her cheerful outburst, she'd just fallen from a flight of stairs, why was she so happy?  
"Are you here to play with me?", she asked hopefully, "Got anything to eat?"

He was momentarily taken aback as she began to _sniff_ his clothes while remaining in his arms.

"I got you now you little-", a voice from the top of the stairs cut off abruptly and he looked up to discover the source. A busty young woman with sandy brown hair cropped short, slit-like eyes and an expression that flickered from angry to shocked to amused in seconds.

"Well, well", she said, leaning on the banister and grinning in a sexy manner, "Su, you never said you had a boyfriend"

"Hi, guys", a new voice called from behind him before he could respond to that rather strange assumption, "I'm home, I… Oh my"

The black-clad boy turned around, the girl apparently named Su, still in his arms and looking for concealed produce, to find a conservative, if cutely dressed, blue haired girl, probably about Su's age, standing motionless in the hallway, grocery bags under each arm, and a look of confusion on her pretty face.

"Hi Shinobu!", Su called out, having only just noticed her friend.

"What do you think of my new boyfriend? Ain't he a cutie?", she said ruffling his messy black hair and wrapping her arms around him.

"What?", he and Shinobu asked at once, both sounding a little shocked by her statement.

"Look", he said, trying to pry the girl loose with a surprising lack of success, "I know I caught you and all, but that's not what they mean when say 'Picking up girls'".

"Really?", Su asked as if this really were news to her.

"Yeah, 'fraid so", he said assuming she was making a joke.

"Awww", she pouted.

"If you're not here for Su", Shinobu asked in a timid voice, "Then what _are_ you doing here?"

"Yeah, this is a girls dorm unfortunately sugar", the fox eyed girl called out from above, "Are you a friend of Keitaro?"

"Not exactly", he said, "I'm Koichi Sagura, I….erm, are you going to let go of me now?"

"Nope", Su replied simply, going back to searching him for food.

"….I see", he said for lack of anything better to say, "Ok, anyway, yeah, I'm Koichi, I'll be-"

The door slide aside again and a tall woman with porcelain skin and silky raven hair walked in, her 'Angel' t-shirt at odds with the rather demonic expression on her face when she spotted Koichi and Su.

"I felt something out of place as I approached", she said cautiously, walking in front of Shinobu slowly, her eyes never leading Koichi's face, "Would someone care to explain why there is a man I don't recognise standing here with his hands all over my best friend".

"He was picking me up", Su piped up, missing Koichi's look of horror at her misunderstanding of his last explanation.

"Now wait just a damn minute kiddo", he began, but it seemed that the raven-haired girl had heard all she required.

"Dragon Fist!", she shouted, lunging at the newcomer.

Her fist mere inches from his face, Koichi threw Su aside, her death grip suddenly absent and tried to dodge. He was a fraction of a second to late, instead he only managed to take some of the sting out of the blow as it connected with his face, dumping him unceremoniously on his ass.

"Ow!", he said, rubbing his jaw, "Hey that hurt!"

"That was the idea", she replied, hiding her shock that he was still conscious

"Yeah, it's great to see you again to Motoko"

"I should…. What did you say?"

For the next few minutes, no one spoke.

"You…know Motoko-sempai?", Shinobu asked confused.

"Hey, is he _your_ boyfriend?", Su asked her friend curiously, not flinching at the death glare she received in return.

"No", she spat, turning her attention back to where Koichi sat, grumbling as he massaged his jaw, "How do you claim to know me?"

Koichi looked at her disbelievingly, "You're pulling my leg right?"

Motoko, peered closer at his face, trying to match it to any of her peers at Tokyo U but only drawing a blank, "I assure you I am not, I have never met you before".

Koichi looked taken aback for a moment, "Well that's a downer… you're sure you don't remember me?"

"I don't forget a face"

"I think you have"

"You don't know me, you're mistaken", Motoko said, her patience at this strange boy's insistence growing thin.

"Really?"

"Really?", she growled angrily while the other girls watched bemused.

"Turtle"

Motoko shuddered involuntarily, causing Koichi to grin lopsidedly in triumph.

"Ha", he beamed, "I knew it was you"

"What's going on here?" Kitsune asked frowning and rubbing her still sore head.

"Well the long and short of it is I'm your new housemate", Koichi said, dusting himself off and standing before offering his hand to Motoko, "Put 'er there roomy"

This time the full force of Motoko's blow landed and Koichi saw stars before everything went black.

* * *

Shinobu looked nervously at the sword Motoko was holding. Motoko plus a deadly weapon always made her nervous, but this time it wasn't her blade, the Hina, given to her by Keitaro, it had been on to the couch next to a duffle bag that had Koichi's name on it. The Katana was resting in a sheath decorated with snake skin just like its pommel, a small gold chain attached at the pommel end and about three inches down the scabbard.

Koichi himself was lain out on the other couch, a happy-go-lucky grin still stuck to his face. Shinobu looked him over carefully. He was dressed in a square-neck black, long-sleeve t-shirt whose sleeves angled to a point over the top of his hands and were attached to his mid digit by a black plastic ring. Black jeans and combat boots finished the rather monotone ensemble.

He didn't look very dangerous, but then again, these days neither did Motoko.

"You really don't know him Motoko-sempai?", Shinobu asked looking away from his goofy grin and messy hair at her Sempai.

"No Shinobu", the older girl said, tapping the blade thoughtfully against her palm, "But I am curious to know how he seems to know about me".

"Could be you have a stalker", Kitsune offered helpfully, taking a pull from her recently recovered Sake. Su had given it up after Koichi had been knocked out, claiming she had something better to play with…namely the unconscious Mr.Sagura. It was her prodding him with a stick that had prompted Shinobu to suggest moving him onto the couch.

Speaking of Su, where was she?

"Hey", Su said as if summoned, scrabbling onto the back of the sofa they were all seated on, "Look what I found in Koi-kun's bag"

"Su, you can't just go through someone else's things", Shinobu chided her, deciding not to bother trying to understand why Koichi was suddenly Koi-kun.

"Yeahhhh", Su whined, "But lookie!"

Motoko took the paper from the excitable Mol-Mol princess and skimmed the letter, her eyes growing steadily wider.

Wordlessly she handed the letter to Kitsune, who chuckled as she gave it to Shinobu:

_Dear Keitaro and Naru,_

_How are you two doing, well I hope, well on the way toward a final date for that wedding? But that's not why I'm writing to you. The boy holding this letter is the son of an old friend, I promised her I'd let him board here while he completes his business in Hinata, I know the other girls might not like this, but a promise is a promise, something you two should understand all to well hehehe._

_I trust you'll make him feel at home._

Love, Granny Hina 

Shinobu read the letter again, careful to make sure it hadn't been mis-read first time. "I don't understand", she said, looking around for explanation.

"What's to get?", Kitsune said around a toothy grin, "The old woman's done it again. I wonder which one of us he'll go for, my money's on Samurai girl here since he already seems to know her".

Motoko gave the other girl a withering stare which seemed to have no effect, "I highly doubt it Kitsune, besides, he won't be around long if I have any say in it".

The fox girl muttered something about history repeating itself.

Before Motoko could reply she sensed a flare of Ki energy.

"Whowhatwhere?", Koichi said sitting up and looking around in a daze before his eyes settled on Motoko.

"What the hell was that for!… And why am I on the sofa?"

"We put you there after Motoko socked you", Su said hoping the gap between the couches onto his lap, somehow snagging the letter along the way.

"Is this true? Are you coming to live with us?"

"That was the plan", he replied trying to dislodge the energetic Mol-Molian girl and failing.

"No", Motoko said simply, "I refuse to allow this".

Koichi looked hurt again for a second before another grin tugged at his lips, "Well that's not really up to you now is it Motoko-chan?"

Kitsune stepped between them before her friend could kill their upbeat but rather foolish new housemate. If he really knew her, he'd know that getting overly friendly with Motoko, especially if you were male, was not a good idea.

"Hey, hey, how bout we let the landlord sort this out?"

All of the girls gasped in shock. Kitsune the voice of reason?

"What?", she asked

"Nothing Kitsune", Shinobu said, smoothing over the abrupt silence, "I think that's probably a good idea"

"…Fine, I know that Naru will see things my way", Motoko said with a curt nod.

"Yay! Koi-kun's staying", Su cheered, hugging the surprised youth.

"Koi-kun?" he asked

* * *

Naru and Keitaro looked over the letter for the third time before looking back up at their scruffy haired guest.

"Well…", Keitaro said, unsure how to proceed.

"Yeah", Naru agreed with her lover's bewilderment, tucking a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Um, you know this is a girls dorm right?", Keitaro asked, as if needing clarification on that point himself.

"The thought crossed my mind", Koichi answered good naturedly, "But Granny Hina assured me it wouldn't be an issue"

Naru looked over the letter one more time before answering, "I think this is a really bad idea"

"Hey, it's happened before", Keitaro pointed out amicably, "And look how that turned out"

"That's my point", Naru said gravely, but her smile spoiled the effect.

"That was cold", Keitaro said hanging his head.

"Don't be such a baby", she admonished, giving him a reassuring peck on the cheek and taking his hand.

"So… what do we do?"

"What can we do, if Granny Hina promised him… like she said, a promise is a promise, we know that better than most"

"So you're ok with this?"

"Not really, but like you say, it's happened before, besides if he tries anything we all know how order is enforced around here… so I guess he stays".

"Thanks", Koichi said, wondering why Keitaro had shuddered at her last statement, "I think…"

"Welcome to the Hinata Sou", Keitaro said brightly, recovering, "I hope you have an uneventful stay"

"Erm… Thanks?"

**End (For Now)**

* * *

Author Notes

Hey, this is only the prologue to a quirky little idea that's been brewing in the back of my mind, I hope you enjoy it, reviews etc welcome


	2. Chapter 1: Moving in

Chapter One: Moving in 

"Yay!", Su danced happily around Koichi in a circle while the other girls had somewhat different reactions.

Shinobu looked somewhat uncertain of the news that the apartment was to have yet another male occupant. She didn't mind Keitaro for reasons that many of the girls could sympathise with, but this boy was a stranger, true he seemed nice enough and Kaolla had taken an unexpected shine to him, but no one knew this man, even if he insisted that one of them _should_.

Kitsune had that grin that never meant well for anyone, and most likely meant that she would soon be testing poor Koichi to determine his wealth and his weaknesses as well as any other interesting titbits she could find out. Like how he knew Motoko for instance.

Motoko's reaction was one of shock and icy ambivalence. She had been certain that Naru would veto this whole thing, perhaps now that she had Keitaro all to herself she no longer cared what happened to the other girls. No, that was ridiculous, but then why had she and Keitaro let him stay? Just because of that letter?

"Su", he choked, bringing Motoko out of her musings, "Can't breath"

Su was hanging onto Koichi's back and slowly asphyxiating him with a crushing bear hug. This was another area of concern for Motoko, no one had ever seen Su take to a new guest so quickly before… except herself, and there was hardly any comparison between herself and this newcomer, barring the fact they both carried swords.

Motoko subtly applied one of the Gods Cry school's lesser known techniques, a way of reading the Ki energy of an opponent. She had felt a flash of power before he awoke, could it be that he was from her family's dojo?

…Apparently not, in him she read the normal, if minor, maelstrom of Ki energy associated with a non-trainee. If he had been trained in any way it would have been under better control, or at least stronger.

"So where you sleepin' huh?", Su asked from Koichi's back, "You can sleep in my room if you want"

"Su!", Motoko shouted

"That's ok kiddo", he replied ruffling her hair, "Narusegawa-san said I could take her room since she won't be needing it anymore".

That silenced everyone.

"Naru-sempai is moving out of her room?", Shinobu was the first to voice the girls collective thoughts.

"Yeah, you know it's weird, as soon as she said that Urashima-san had to stuff half a box of tissues up his nose, I mean the guy went off like a geyser, scary…funny", he admitted, "but scary".

"Hahaha, way to go Keitaro and Naru", Kitsune laughed, "bout time too, it's been what? Nearly two years since they got it together and they only just moved into the same room".

Su was thankfully no longer on Koichi's back, but standing next to Kitsune, mimicking her pose and laugh, while Motoko and Shinobu seemed much less enthusiastic about the whole thing.

The newest resident of the Hinata Sou had the odd feeling he was missing out on a really good joke…

* * *

Koichi was in a dilemma.

Unpacking was one of the things he hated most in the world, rivalled only by packing. He looked irritably at the bag he was holding, and the sword in his other hand. He'd come close to loosing that sword, Motoko hadn't seemed inclined to give it back, despite his assurances he wasn't planning to walk around the dorm swinging it above his head or anything.

He pondered his problem for a few more seconds when inspiration struck. Opening his closest, now devoid of the belongings of the previous occupant, he dumped the bag unceremoniously in the corner and slid the door back in place before dropping cross legged onto his futon.

"Phew, all done", he said out loud, balancing his sword across his knees. Now he could devote his attention to more crucial matters. Top of that list, Motoko.

Her _welcome_ had left something to be desired, he hadn't known exactly what to expect, but being knocked on his ass wasn't one of them. It certainly didn't bode well for the rest of his visit to Hinata.

Koichi lay back, crossing his arms behind his head, both relaxing and stretching at once by leaving his legs in their crossed position. The plain brown ceiling of the room stared back with little interest.

Motoko… what had happened after all this time that he'd get that kind of a greeting… had he waited to long like his sister had warned? Was she mad?… Or had she forgotten…

"Could she really have forgotten… Motoko…"

"Hey sleepy boy, mind if I come in?"

Koichi rolled his head round to see Kitsune leaning against his door frame, grin and Sake accounted for.

"Depends", he said with a smile of his own, "is any of that for me, and do I have to get up?"

"Not on my account", she laughed and he waved her in.

Kitsune dropped herself down next to him and promptly popped the top off her Sake, offering him a swig before taking a healthy gulp of her own.

"Is this the welcome party?", he asked, making a show of looking round, "Thought I'd get more than this"

"Hehe, not exactly, everyone will drop by eventually, besides, what's wrong with lil old me?"

Koichi looked her over and grinned lopsidedly, "Nothing much. So you say that this is just my first visit today?"

"Yep, to be honest I'm surprised Su isn't here already, she seems to have taken quite a liking to you, considering she met you all of an hour ago. Probably bugging Motoko for attention… speaking of which…"

"You're wondering how I know her right?", he guessed

"Bingo….so…", she prompted

"So what?"

"You going to tell me?"

"Nope"

"Huh? Why not?", she asked frowning, if there's one thing Kitsune hates, it's not being in the know about something.

"Secret", he mock whispered back.

"Aww", she pouted, if he wanted to play that game she knew plenty of ways to get the information she was after, "Please".

"Nope"

"Pretty please", she said, leaning a little closer.

"Still no", he said still grining.

"How bout if I ask real nice?", she tried, winking and placing an arm either side of his head. If this guy was even close to Keitaro in temperament, and even if he wasn't, she'd soon have her answers.

"Well in that case…", he said, lifting his head up until his mouth was by her ear, "I'd still say no".

If, Kitsune had been standing she might have face faulted at that moment.

"Heyas!"

Kitsune spun around, looking over her shoulder to find Su sitting on the room's small table.

"What are you two doing, can I play too?", the young girl asked as the older girl sat back with a sigh, allowing her 'victim' to sit up again.

"Hey Su", Koichi said easily, if he was worried about having been found in a questionable position with the resident fox he didn't show it, "Kitsune was just asking me some questions"

"Lying down?"

"Yeah", he replied without even having the decency to blush or stammer, very rude in Kitsune's opinion.

Su shrugged, "So, you done unpacking yet? Wanna play now?"

"Yeah I'm done", he replied, "But Kitsune said you were busy with Motoko"

"No", Su sighed, "She's still angry about Naru and Keitaro letting you stay here, she said she needed to think about things a little so she took off, I don't know where she is or I'd be there right now".

"Took off?… Do you know when she'll be back?", he asked, his grin slipping a bit. This reaction only served to heighten Kitsune's curiosity, what was he so worried about?

"Don't know, but she always comes back, she did this a lot when Keitaro first moved in too"

That seemed to both relieve and depress the messy haired boy at the same time, and the room was silent for a few minutes.

"Hey Koichi, diner's- oh…", Shinobu trailed off, spotting all those she needed to alert in the same room, "erm.. Diner will be ready in a little while if you want to freshen up first".

"Thanks Shinobu", he replied, his grin coming back.

Standing, sword in hand, he made to follow her back into the hall, pausing by the door.

"Well… you two gonna sit there all day?"

"Nope, I want diner, we can play later right Koi-kun?", Su said running over to him and looking up with wide, vibrant eyes.

"Sure kiddo", he said, ruffling her hair again and watching as she took off down the corridor like an airplane, sound effects included.

Scratching his head, Koichi followed her down, Kitsune a few paces behind.

_I wonder what he's hiding_, she thought, a twinkle forming in her eye, _I bet this is going to be fun finding out._

* * *

Koichi was seated between Su and Kitsune at their own insistence, and Keitaro couldn't help but sympathise with the vaguely hunted expression the younger man was wearing at the moment. Kitsune and Su's curiosity could be almost as dangerous as Naru or Motoko's temper, in fact the former usually triggered the latter some how in his experience.

"Come ooooooon, Shinobu", Su was whining, laying across the table and twitching feebly as if on the verge of a collapse, "Soooooooo, hungry".

Koichi had wondered if he should offer a snack or something but everyone else seemed to be ignoring her as if this were a regular occurrence, so he sat back and put on a casual façade that he guessed would bug the hell out of Kitsune seeing as how she was trying, none to subtly, to catch his attention.

He looked around the table. Naru and Keitaro seemed to be chatting about something or other in a hushed tone. Naru would occasionally glance slightly to his left, so he could tell they were talking about the sword that rested against his left hip. Not surprising, few people brought weaponry to the diner table after all.

"I'm telling you it's not normal", Naru whispered with another glance, careful to smile so as not to arose suspicion.

"Why? Motoko used to bring her Katana with her everywhere until a year or so ago", Keitaro pointed out.

"And what used to happen?", his fiancé asked shrewdly.

"I, er, don't recall", he lied

"You did something perverted and she put you through a wall"

"So did you", he risked in hope of diverting this conversation, Koichi had somehow gotten that blade back from Motoko without a fight, anyone who could do that was not someone he wanted to try and confiscate property from.

"But those Ki attacks of hers always did more damage to the building", she replied, still on topic, although her eyes promised there would be a reckoning for that last comment later, when there were no witnesses, "Granny Hina left us a fare amount to maintain this place, but I'd rather not use it all up fixing holes".

Keitaro shifted uncomfortably, it always seemed that he lost arguments with Naru.

"Hey", Su interrupted his worrying, "Can I see your sword Koi-kun?"

"Sorry Su", he said, "No dice"

"Awww, how come? Where'd you get it?"

"My father gave me this, its been in my family for a very long time, I have to take special care of it"

Keitaro cast an imploring look at Naru. _Great_, he thought, _It's a family heirloom she wants me to try and take off him_. Naru looked over at Koichi before sighing and nodding her head slowly.

"Your Father huh?", Kitsune asked, looking at the sword, "Does that mean you're a blademaster like Motoko?"

"Not exactly", he answered a little defensively.

"Diner's ready!", Shinobu called unwittingly saving him from a barrage of questions as she carried the first tray in.

"Yay!", Su cheered when Shinobu took the lid off to reveal her famous Spicy Curry dish, shovelling it into her mouth almost as soon as it hit the plate.

Koichi stared for a moment in surprise, maybe she really was starving, she was certainly eating like it.

Again it seemed this was nothing new, no one else at the table so much as blinked, they were all eating.

Following suit, Koichi took a mouthful and froze.

Shinobu, having not started yet to ensure everyone was settled noticed his sudden lack of movement.

"Koichi-san?", she asked quietly, a little worried by his actions, "Is everything ok?"

"Ok?", he said slowly, "Shinobu… this is amazing! Where'd you learn to cook like this?"

The blue haired girl was used enough to compliments on her cooking skills by now that his words only caused a low level blush.

"It's nothing special, my family own a restaurant"

"Well this is great", he said, taking another bite and savouring the tingling feeling the spices left on his tongue, before turning his attention back to her, "Shinobu, I know this is forward but would you consider marrying me?"

Naru began to choke on her meal, while Kitsune and Keitaro moved to help her. Su carried on eating.

"I, erm, m-marry, I", the shy girl stuttered blushing up a storm.

"Whoa, easy, I was only joking", Koichi said, grinning sheepishly in apology as Naru finally got over her coughing fit.

The rest of diner went a little smoother until Keitaro finally noticed the absence of the local kendo girl.

"Has anyone seen Motoko?", he asked, not noticing the grimace that crossed the other man at the tables face for a second.

"She said she had things to do", Kitsune answered, half an eye on Koichi for any other reaction, but his usual grin was back in place and showed no sign of going anywhere any time soon.

"So Koichi-san", Keitaro asked, adjusting his glasses, "what brings you to Hinata? The letter said you were here on business, what kind?"

"I have to deliver something", Koichi said cryptically.

"Deliver something?", Naru spoke up, handing her plate to Shinobu who was beginning to clear the table, "Why would you need to stay here to drop something off?"

"It's… complicated", the younger boy replied, waving his hands to emphasis the point.

The table was quiet again for a second.

"Anyway, thanks for the meal Shinobu, but I'm bushed, I think I'll go lie down for a while", he said standing.

"Nu-uh", Su said, glomping onto his arm, "You promised to play with me remember"

"Yeah I guess I did", he replied, thinking for a moment as he gently shrugged her off his arm and stood back from the table, "Here's the thing…catch me if you can!"

Even Su stood dumbfounded as he bolted from the room.

"Hey!", she shouted when she found her voice, "No fair, cheating!"

Everyone assembled, sweat-dropped as the tanned foreigner took off laughing in hot pursuit, they had never thought they'd see the day that Kaolla Su had a fast one pulled on her.

* * *

Su tip-toed softly up to the next bend, her eyes alert for any sign of black on the light walls of the corridor, in her hand the _Koi-kun catcher MkII_, a portable electrified net launcher.

Su jumped around the corner, swinging the barrel of the device left and right as she checked. Still no Koi-kun. The only other person who had evaded her this long was Sara, Koi-kun was setting a new record.

Su padded down hall and out of sight.

With a whisper of displaced air Koichi dropped down from the ceiling rafters he had been hiding between, landing with almost no sound.

"Was that a gun?"

* * *

"_Boulder cutting blade!_", Motoko shouted, hurling a wave of Ki in the wake of her strike, and watching with satisfaction as it ripped through the 'opposing' rock like so much tissue paper. She nodded her herself, that strike had required less energy than she had been previously expending.

Her coming out here hadn't been a total loss after all, she had improved upon a technique she had thought mastered, showing once again that you never have nothing to learn.

The only thing that soured her mood somewhat was the thought of her reason for being here instead of at the Hinata Sou with the rest of her friends.

Koichi Sagura.

There was another man at the Hinata Sou. Another chance for lechery and misdeed. Keitaro may have shown her that not all men are untrustworthy, and helped her grow into her feminity, but that didn't make her blindly trusting either. There were plenty of bad examples of manhood around too.

Koichi had made a rather bad first impression in her opinion. Firstly he had been caught with his hands on her best friend, an unforgivable transgression, he had claimed residence for purposes unknown and had had the audacity to suggest that they share a room!

Motoko missed her next step, swinging her blade in a wide arc she hadn't intended, cheeks burning with shame.

_And now he is disturbing my training_, she thought angrily. When Motoko returned to the Hinata Sou, she planned to have a private word with Naru about their new tenant, she would not stand for this.

In the old days she would have just challenged him and been done with it, but se had mellowed a little in recent years. Besides if Naru still failed to see sense then that was always Plan B.

Sitting down on a handy boulder and rearranging her robes a bit more comfortably, she removed the white cloth that held her hair back in order to mop her brow.

Part of her was against the idea of engaging in a duel, which confused her slightly. The man might not have been a Ki adept, but he carried that blade with a confidence that didn't belong to a mere custodian, she had seen that the moment she returned it to him.

That was in itself a strange thing. When she had taken the sword while he was unconscious, she had made the decision not to return it until they knew for sure he was not a threat to them, but instead she had handed it over as soon as he asked.

He looked so upset when he thought it lost, and when he asked me to return it, looking straight at me with those eyes, grey like the sea on a cold day… so sad…

Motoko broke off her musing, shaking her head roughly, her face was flushed and her pulse erratic.

_I must have pushed myself harder than I thought_, she reasoned, even as a memory of a similar feeling tried to rise.

Picking up her things and re-tying her hair, Motoko set off back toward the Hinata Sou.

If nothing else, it was clear that things were about to get interesting around here again.

* * *

Koichi had his back pressed to the rock he was hiding behind. He was knee deep in warm hot-spring water, but at least he was safe.

So far he'd watched Su run past the entrance the Hot Springs a dozen times or so, but she hadn't poked her head in even once. It had occurred to him shortly after ducking in here, that if she wanted to stun him and 'win', he was making her job a whole lot easier. Even if she missed with that net, the current from it would be enough to give him a nasty shock if he was close enough seeing as he was standing in water.

His mind also reminded him of its warning prior to this choice of hiding spot. That he was hiding in the baths… the women's baths. At the time that warning had been a challenge.

Perhaps Sis is right, perhaps I am to impulsive for my own good 

That had been what had started the 'game' in the first place, the impulse that it would be fun, no account given the look of minor horror that he kept catching from the others whenever Su said the word "Play".

So now as time went on, he not only came closer to the point where Su would find him, but also increased the risk of one of the tenants deciding to take a dip to wind down the evening.

How screwed up would that be, caught like some kind of peeping tom his first day here, especially if the would be bather were Su or Shinobu.

_Or I could get lucky, it could be Kitsune_, he tried to put a positive spin on the possible outcome. His brains response was short and to the point, '_Baka'_

Deciding against tempting fate, Koichi made to move when her heard the whisper of the bath door being opened.

Acting on instinct, he ducked back down, cursing himself even as he heard footsteps coming from the changing area. He could have used those few seconds to hop the fence, rather than hiding.

'_Told you so'_, a voice in his head proclaimed smugly.

Perhaps if he was lucky the growing darkness would hide him as long as the moon stayed behind the clouds.

There was a _splash_, that announced that another body had entered the water.

_Oh kami-sama, please let that be Su and her gun_, he thought ironically enough.

Braving what might come, Koichi peeked carefully around the edge of his hiding spot, his breath catching as he caught sight of the pool's new occupant.

Motoko stood with her back to him, there being just enough light that he could follow the ivory curves of her slender form, his eyes lingering against his will on her shapely derriere.

Koichi ducked back suddenly short on breath.

_Ok, think Sagura, think. You're here, in the bath with Motoko…_ He slapped himself to clear his head of several fantasy endings to this scenario, but could do nothing about the grin that threatened to cramp his facial muscles.

Ok, all I have to do is wait, she wash, get out, get dressed, and I can hop the fence and no ones the wiser, simple

Or it should have been. Within seconds of making his plan, there was a cry of triumph from the fence above him. A cry that was disturbingly familiar… Su.

"Target acquired!", she squealed with glee, "Fire, fire!".

Unable to believe his crappy luck, Koichi still managed a backwards somersault over his cover, stealth giving way to self-preservation even as Su's stun-net hit the water he had been standing in.

He touched down noisily, his foot slipping of the wet bed of the Hot Spring as he tried to make another leap to safety, dumping him on his back and under the water.

He surfaced again seconds later, couching and hacking to clear the water that had somehow found its way into his lungs.

Raising up on shaky limbs he looked up…straight at the stunned Motoko, just as the moon made it's way out from behind the cloud cover, revealing her naked form in all its glory.

Time froze as he drank in the sight.

"You're… beautiful", he breathed.

* * *

Motoko returned from he impromptu training session much later than she had anticipated. The sun had long since begin to set and her fellow tenants were all engaged in their evening activities. Shinobu was cleaning the last of the dishes, Kitsune was drinking in her room (not to dissimilar to her day time activities Motoko noted), Su was presumably playing some sort of game, Motoko had seen her running around carrying a bizarre looking gun, the three eyes of Mol-Mol proudly displayed on the side. That just left Naru and Keitaro, whose activities she didn't wish to linger on, and the newest member of casa de Hinata, who she likewise had no interest in meeting at this moment.

Motoko sighed wearily, she had worked hard today, perhaps a nice bath would relax her somewhat.

Heading into the changing area Motoko stripped down, throwing her dirty clothes straight into the laundry hamper.

As she turned to enter the bath a noise made her pause.

Was someone out there already? Was it that new boy, Koichi, trying to peek on her?

Motoko shook off her paranoid thoughts, Koichi had no way of knowing where she would go when she got back, or even that she _was_ back, so he couldn't be out there.

Having satisfied her concerns, the raven haired beauty stepped out into the bathing area, discarding her towel and slipping into the water.

Motoko took up a handy bar of soap and began to scrub, consciously facing the entrance 'just in case'.

She began to relax, her muscles loosening already as she methodically removed the grim from her body.

She was done and about to sit down and enjoy a long soak, when there was a loud cry of "Fire, Fire!", from behind her.

Motoko spun, recognising Su's voice, as a black shape hurled itself toward her, crashing into the water barely over a meter away from where she stood.

Before she could react, it burst up from the water, hacking uncontrollably, its black hair plastered to its face.

Slowly the figure looked up at her with sea grey eyes.

_Koichi?_, she registered numbly as he spoke.

"You're…beautiful"

Motoko blushed madly for a moment, her heart set racing by the sincerity put into such simple words.

Then her situation caught up with her. She was standing naked before a man she had just met, who was gawking at her body.

Rage replaced everything else. _Lecherous, perverted, peeping swine!_

Motoko's face contorted and her hand reared back.

"Chou Hentai! _Dragon Fist!"._

Koichi didn't react as her fist made contact, slamming him back into the fence on the far side of the pool.

Motoko glared at his fallen form before grabbing her towel and stomping out of the Hot Spring.

* * *

Up in Keitaro's room, Naru looked around in confusion. She was sure she had just hear some scream "pervert!", but Keitaro was right here.

"What's wrong?", Keitaro asked, causing her to look down at him from where she sat across his stomach. Not so long ago the idea of doing this with Keitaro would have been revolting. Still, he was her fiancé now and the man she loved, things change.

"Nothing", she reassured him, leaning back down and resuming their kiss.

**

* * *

**

* * *

----Author Notes----

Thanks for what feedback there has been so far, hopefully this will encourage more (hopes), next chapter will be up soon, this idea is running surprisingly smoothly in my mind.

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	3. Chapter 2: Getting to know you

Chapter two: Getting to know you

"Gah, Kami-sama!", Koichi cursed, his hand flinching away from his sore eye. Luckily there was no swelling from where Motoko's punch had connected the previous night, nothing broken. It had been a clean blow, for that he was grateful…still hurt like hell though.

_Nice job Koichi, great first impression_, he thought at his reflection in his room's small mirror angrily.

Events flashed briefly through his mind until the point of his introduction to flight, the memories slowing significantly at several points, mostly those involving a nude Motoko.

Koichi whined inaudibly as he heard himself babble out the words "You're… beautiful".

"Dork", he muttered, banging his head against the mirror harder than he had intended, "Ah! Son of a-".

There was a soft knock at the door. Koichi gulped, what if that was Motoko come to finish the job, wouldn't that be an embarrassing story to tell his family when he turned up on a stretcher.

A further thought occurred that he was still shirtless.

Scrambling for his bag, Koichi pulled out a short sleeved black shirt with silver buttons and threw it on.

"Enter", he said, lounging casually against the wall.

"Hi", Keitaro said as he stuck his head around the door, raising a hand in greeting.

_Crap_, Koichi thought, _She went straight to the manager_

"Mind if I sit down?", the older man said, sitting when Koichi nodded mutely in response.

"So… what can I do for you?", Koichi asked, warily

"Oh, nothing, it just occurred to me that I haven't given you a proper orientation yet"

Koichi almost wilted with relief, "You mean you didn't come to talk to me about the Baths?"

He almost cursed himself for saying that.

"Of course I did, but I was saving that till later, but seeing as you brought it up"

_Here it comes_, Koichi thought morbidly

"As you may or may not know, the Hot Springs here are women's only, I thought I should point that out before you ended up in a compromising position," the former Ronin said, scratching the back of his head, "its happened before, trust me. I'd just stay clear of that general area just to be sure".

"I'll, er, keep it in mind", Koichi sweat-dropped. _What's going on, didn't she tell him after all?_

Keitaro chatted amicably for the next few minutes about life at the Hinata Sou, laundry times, meals, chores and the like, with Koichi only half paying attention.

For whatever reason, Motoko hadn't said anything, perhaps once she'd cooled down a little he could find a way to explain and make it up to her.

He looked up as the door slid open again and a tanned blur vaulted through the gap. Koichi watched in stunned amazement as a foot connected with Keitaro's head that sent him pin-balling across the room.

"Morning Su", Keitaro wheezed when he had extracted himself from the floor.

"Morning Keitaro", she beamed back as if nothing had happened, "And morning to you Koi-kun"

"Hey", he said back weakly, watching as the manager dusted himself off as if nothing had happened.

_Wasn't he bleeding a few seconds ago_, Koichi questioned, but shrugged it aside as Su made to tackle/hug him.

Rolling to his right, Koichi avoided her long enough to place the table between her and himself.

"Something I can do for you kiddo?", he said

Su, pouted for a moment before her usual smile returned, "Shinobu wanted me to tell you that breakfast is almost ready"

"Thanks Su", Keitaro said, "I think we're done here anyway, just swing by my office if you have any other questions, ok Koichi"

"Yeah, sure".

Su leapt onto Keitaro's back as he passed, "Giddy-up horsy, to breakfast!"

Keitaro gave his new tenant a long suffering sigh and trekked off with the hyper Mol-Molian clinging to his back.

* * *

Breakfast was rather tense for Koichi.

Naru eyed him with open suspicion, as if somehow aware that something had happened that he was the centre of, but not what he had done.

Keitaro, perhaps picking up on the negative vibes from his spouse-to-be, glanced around nervously, waiting for something to give. This in turn seemed to put shy little Shinobu on edge and of course with it being so obvious that something was amiss, Kitsune was examining everyone carefully for some sign of what had transpired.

As for Motoko… well there were ice caps warmer than Motoko that morning. She was dressed in a rather conservative, white, high-necked summer blouse and red knee length skirt, and had so far yet to make eye contact with anyone at the table.

Only Su seemed unaffected by the mood that hung over the dinning table.

"So", Kitsune drawled, "Everyone have a peaceful night?"

Koichi barely avoided flinching, unfortunately Motoko didn't.

"How bout you Motoko?", the fox girl asked, narrowing in on her housemate's discomfort, "Sleep well?"

"Just fine", she replied, not meeting the other woman's gaze.

"When did you get back? None of us saw you come in"

"Late", Motoko said with the hint of an edge to her voice.

"You know it's strange", Kitsune said, obviously enjoying this, "You disappear, then Koichi vanishes too"

"I was hiding from Su", Koichi spoke up, trying to address both Motoko and Kitsune at once, hoping the former would notice that his answer wasn't totally directed at the latter.

"Did I ever imply you weren't?", Kitsune asked with a raised eyebrow.

Koichi kept his mouth shut, not wanting to risk saying anything else. The last thing he needed was for the previous night to be lain out for all to see here and now.

"I'm done", Motoko said, pushing away from the table, "Thank you Shinobu, the food was excellent as always"

Without another word, Motoko strode from the room.

Koichi was up and following not long after.

_Hmmm, something's going on between those two, and I intend to find out what……hehehe, life here hasn't been this fun in ages_, Kitsune thought.

* * *

"Hey, wait up", Koichi said, trailing after Motoko, as she made her way toward the front door, "Will you just stop already".

"I have nothing to say to you", Motoko said coldly, stopping only long enough to collect her shoes before turning to leave.

"Will you just listen!", he said, reaching out and catching hold of her hand, bringing her up short, "Please… just listen".

"Let go of me", Motoko said, grateful that her voice didn't shake and that she wasn't facing him so he couldn't she her faint blush.

"Not till you listen", he replied stubbornly.

"Fine", she responded, "if that is the way you wish to do this".

Without preamble, the raven-haired girl flung the door aside and took off running, thinking to dislodge the fool clinging to her hand with a sudden burst of speed.

The pressure around her hand told her that he was still there, and managing to keep up.

Motoko growled, pumping her legs faster as they crossed the courtyard and neared the stairs. Surely he would release her if she appeared to be heading at such dangerous speed toward the steps.

The heir to the Gods Cry School pushed off as she reached the head of the stairs, sailing gracefully into the air. _There_, she thought, risking a glance back to assure her success, her mouth almost dropping at what she saw. Koichi had mirrored her jump exactly, leaping at just the right moment to ensure her own jump wasn't thrown off course by his extra weight.

_There's no way someone untrained should be able to do such a thing_, she thought shocked, her attention diverted from her landing.

"Motoko!", he shouted, seeing that she was no longer concentrating on landing. _If she doesn't adjust her angle soon, she'll be lucky to only brake her leg_, he thought desperately.

Tightening his grip, Koichi pulled her in closer to his body, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Wha-what are you doing!", she asked, blushing furiously.

"Saving you", he replied, frantically re-evaluating his flight path and landing angle to compensate for the extra weight.

The ground rushed closer, and he was still no where near an answer. _I'll have to wing it_, he thought, suppressing the part of himself that was excited by the risk involved.

Here goes 

Koichi's feet hit the last few steps hard as he bent his knees to relieve the impact and avoid shattered bones.

The combined weight of him and Motoko had given this landing more momentum than he had anticipated. He couldn't stop as they began to pitch forward.

He rolled as they struck the ground, trying to keep Motoko above him and out of harms way as he bounced like a skipping stone with her atop him, before grinding to a halt and lying very still.

Motoko was shamed to admit that she had closed her eyes in fear before landing, and that she had clutched tightly to her 'saviour' before impact.

She carefully opened her eyes. She was resting on something warm and solid, something black, but what?

_Koichi's chest_, she thought groggily, _It's just Koichi's chest…_

Motoko sat bolt up right.

"_Tsk, Tsk_, and in public too", an aged voice muttered from somewhere nearby.

Motoko looked around to spot three old men in shabby burgundy robes standing a little way off, shaking their heads.

It was then that she realised that in the process of sitting up, she had inadvertently straddled her rescuer.

Motoko's face blazed red as her fist came up to punish the _man_ that had put her in such an embarrassing position.

Her ire faded as she looked down. His eyes were closed, and he still wasn't moving.

_Koi…Koichi_, she thought worriedly. He needed medical attention and fast, the fool hadn't timed the landing right.

Motoko felt something wet running down her face. Tears… was she…crying?

She stood quickly, her mind trying to remember where the nearest hospital was. As she began to move something grabbed her hand roughly, restraining her. She spun angrily, wanting to rage at whoever was stopping her. Her eyes went wide in shock.

Koichi had propped himself up on one arm, using the other to take hold of her hand again.

"You…ready…to listen now?", he wheezed long bangs of black hair hiding his eyes.

Motoko could only nod dumbly in response. How could he even move after something like that?

"I'm sorry… about last night Motoko. I guess I didn't think through my choice of hiding place very well, then again, when it's Su doing the finding, you take what you can get", he said with a low laugh. Motoko could sympathise. She had played Kaolla's games before, and knew how zealous the younger girl was about winning.

"So… can you forgive me?"

"I…I suppose so", she said in a quiet voice, "Just don't do it again"

"Thanks", he said, looking up at last.

Motoko was momentarily struck dumb by the happiness in those wonderful sea grey eyes.

She felt that she had seen that gaze before, somewhere…

A gust of wind swept past, violently tossing her skirt about.

Even as she quickly placed one hand on the front to keep it in place, she heard a voice drift up from below her.

"Whoa, nice"

Motoko saw red.

"_Dragon Fist!_", she yelled, driving Koichi's face into the concrete before stomping off toward the train station.

Koichi rolled over onto his back, a wide grin on his face.

"I guess I deserved that", he admitted cheerily, "But at least she forgave me"

"Baka!", he heard shouted from somewhere in the distance.

Koichi laughed heartily, he was as happy as he could be right now and nothing would change that.

* * *

Eventually Koichi sat up, having become a hindrance to pedestrians, who had decided to give the strange young man lying on the pavement with the goofy grin a wide birth. Especially seeing as he had no shoes on.

He dusted himself off, whistling a little tuned, drawing even more looks.

Koichi raked his fingers through his hair to rearrange it, and made his way back up the stairs toward his new home.

As he all but skipped through the front door an idea struck him. Perhaps there was a way he could make up for his little slip of the tongue earlier on, _and_ put himself in better stead with Motoko all at the same time.

_Yeah that just might work_, he thought, jogging lightly upstairs.

"Come on, where is it", Koichi muttered, throwing clothes out of his duffle bag, "I know it's in here somewhere…"

"Got ya!", he exclaimed brandishing the envelope that contained his savings.

"Got what sugar?", a voice purred as something round and soft pressed against his back, two such things in fact, and a pair of slender arms encircled his waist.

"Hi Kitsune", he said, attempting to tuck the envelope out of sight.

The sandy haired girl frowned for a moment, this wasn't the reaction she was used to, but her attention was quickly diverted by the envelope she spotted sticking out from under his foot. An envelope just the right size for money to be safely sealed in.

"Now what have we here?", she enquired, reaching around him to grab at the envelope.

"Hey, leave that alone", he said, holding it out of her reach.

"Come on, just a little peek", she asked, leaning over his shoulder.

"No", he said trying to move away from her, but slipping on the clothes now strewn around his room.

He pitched forward as she made a lunge for the money, crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

"Ow", he groaned, opening his eyes.

_That's weird_, he thought, all he could see as red. Red cotton stretched over something large and round.

_Oh no_, he thought, _please don't tell me_…

"How's the view?", Kitsune's voice came from just a little above him and he craned his head back to see her smiling impishly at him. His face had come close to getting smushed between her breasts, and would have if she hadn't caught herself.

"Just great", he smiled back, causing her to blush slightly and move off him.

"Yeah, so…what's with all the cash?", she asked after scooting back a little, gesturing at the envelope he had managed to hold onto.

"Nothing much, just planning to do a little shopping"

"Uh-huh", she said, her sly grin returning, "Something for Motoko maybe?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you upset her pretty bad last night"

"That wasn't my fault, if Su hadn't trapped me in the Hot Springs I never would have… wait a minute, she told you about that?"

"Nope", Kitsune chuckled.

"But then how did you…"

"I milked it out of you just now", she answered, smiling wider as he hung his head in defeat.

"So, you want some help?", she asked.

"Help with what?", he replied looking up again.

"With picking out a 'Sorry for being a perv' gift for Motoko"

Koichi's brittle smile showed just what he thought of that joke.

"Oh lighten up honey", she said throwing a companionable arm around him, "She is my friend after all, so if anyone can help you out it'll be me"

"I guess so", he said after a pause, "When are you free?"

"How bout right now?"

"Now? Don't you have a job or anything?", he asked.

"Not really, me and Mutsumi, you haven't met her yet, sort of run the tea house now Haruka's travelling with Seta full time", there was an edge of bitterness to that last statement, "but that place almost never as any customers, so I think I can get away with closing for a few hours to help you out".

"Thanks Kitsune", he said.

"No problem, shopping beats working any day", _and maybe I can get you to buy _me _a little something while we're at it_, she mentally added.

* * *

"Do you really have to do that?", Koichi asked uncomfortably.

"Awww, don't be such a spoilsport", Kitsune said from where she clung to his arm, "Just enjoy it".

"People are starring"

"So?"

Koichi sighed and tried to pretend that he couldn't feel the eyes every passenger on the Tokyo bound train focused on him.

Kitsune had suggested they go to Tokyo with its larger range of shops to search for Motoko's gift. It had made sense to Koichi, so he had readily agreed.

Of course as soon as they got on the train she had glomped onto his arm and snuggled next to him.

He'd managed to guess the reason that she had done it, informing her that the envelope wasn't in that pocket. In fact he suspected her continued 'affection' was revenge for the smugness with which he had guessed her intent.

Koichi mentally tuned out the jealous whispers of some of the male passengers and attempted to will the train to go faster.

Above the train a small silver shape flew along in pursuit, the lens of its high powered camera focused on the window by which Koichi and Kitsune stood, broadcasting the image back to its amused creator.

As soon as the train pulled into their stop, Koichi was out the door, more or less unintentionally dragging Kitsune along, subjecting himself to several murmurs about 'domineering boyfriends' in the process.

_Please someone just shoot me in the head_, he silently pleaded, but no higher power heeded his call.

"Whoa there sugar", Kitsune called, pulling him back to a reasonable pace but not letting go and pointing with her free arm, "We have to go this way".

The grey-eyed boy nodded as she manoeuvred him down a new path and out on the busy streets of Tokyo.

"You can let go now, I promise not to run away", he joked.

"No, I like it just fine here", she replied, happy that she was finally getting a reaction she was used to.

_Oh it's on now_, he thought as she squeezed his arm tighter and grinned triumphantly, triggering his competitive side.

"Ok, how bout we try here first", she said, leading him into a clothes store.

* * *

They spent several minutes looking around, Kitsune choosing clothes she assured him were the latest fashions, claims that various saleswomen backed her up in, but they could find nothing that really stood out to Koichi as the perfect choice for Motoko.

Next was a small shop of curios and exotic objects from around the world.

Kitsune and Koichi split up to search the store, calling the other over when they felt they had found something, but again, nothing they could both feel satisfied with.

On the way out, Koichi spotted something on the back of a display case of crystal figurines, but Kitsune was already pulling him along before he could get a good look at it.

They made several other stops, including an electronics store. Koichi had felt sure that Motoko wouldn't want anything from a place like this and his shopping guide had guiltily admitted that she was hopping he'd buy _her_ something.

I similar thing happened when they'd some how found themselves in a store called _Shin's World of Liquor_.

Koichi had smirked as Kitsune walked about the store, whistling innocently. As she's pointed out, she was only doing this to help out after all.

As he wondered up and down the isles, Koichi found his mind drifting back to that figurine he had seen in the curios shop. It seemed to call to him, and he felt sure it was what he was looking for.

So, while Kitsune was browsing, he snuck out of the shop and retraced his steps back to that store.

As soon as he found the display case and got a clear look at it, he felt confident that the search was over.

_This is it, the perfect gift for Motoko_, he smiled inwardly and looked at the price tag.

Had he been any older he might have suffered a coronary right there. The figure was worth a quarter of his savings!

He looked at the figure imploringly, hoping it would show mercy and swap tags with a less expensive item, but of course it didn't happen.

Calling over a clerk, Koichi had the figure packaged and wrapped, trying to ignore the odd shooting pains in his side as he handed over the money.

Gift in hand, he made his way back to the liquor store, humming to himself. His tune faltered as he saw a rather upset looking Kitsune standing outside the store.

In the end he ended up buying her three bottles of premium Sake by way of apology and she settled back in to trying to embarrass him while he was left carrying the bags.

Feeling worn out, Koichi had suggested they stop somewhere, and after a little teasing Kitsune had relented, directing them to a café she frequented when in town.

"So what did you get her?", Kitsune asked, taking a sip of her iced tea and nodding toward the bag at his side.

"I'll show you later", he promised, not wanting to risk taking it out of it's protective wrapping in a public place.

Koichi drank a little of his coffee and stretched tiredly.

"So, are you going to tell me now?", Kitsune enquired

"Tell you what?"

"How you know Motoko"

"Sorry, Kitsune, I can't, ask her about it some day"

The fox girl frowned but decided to let it drop for now.

After they had finished and paid, Kitsune took hold of his arm again, this time only getting the minimum of fuss and began to lead him back toward the train station.

As they walked a shop caught her eye. She stole a quick glance at her companion, who no longer looked so uncomfortable walking around with her on his arm, a mischievous idea worming its way into her brain.

"Hey, Koichi, one last store ok?"

"Another one? But I already got my gift"

"Well think of this as planning ahead", she answered, dragging him inside before he could object.

The first thing Koichi noticed was that he was surrounded by bras. Lots and lots of bras. Kitsune had dragged him into a lingerie shop.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!", he hissed, hoping that no one had noticed them yet.

"I just needed to grab a few things", she said mock sweetly, "You can rate my choices if you want"

Koichi went satisfyingly slack jawed at that moment, before reddening and storming out of the store.

Kitsune laughed so hard she could barely stand, and staggered out after him.

"Hehehe, you should have seen your face", she giggled.

"So you think it was funny embarrassing me like that do you", he asked angrily.

"Yep", she managed around another set of laughter.

"So you think public embarrassment is funny?", he asked, the hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Yep"

"Then you'll love this", he said.

Dropping the bags he was carrying, Koichi darted forward, grabbing Kitsune before she could react, dipping her dramatically and giving her a kiss full on the lips.

The fox girl's mind went blank for a second, and when he released her she staggered a little, blushing fully for the first time in years.

Koichi calmly picked up his bags and made the victory sign at his dazed shopping partner, before taking off into the crowd.

Kitsune gradually became aware of the scandalised murmurs of the crowd, worsening her blush.

"Wha..I… Koichi! Get back here!", she shouted giving chase.

From somewhere up ahead she could hear him laughing.

* * *

"Ms.Aoyama", a voice called, breaking Motoko reluctantly out of her daydream, "Are you still with us?"

Motoko looked around the class, finding a sea of enquiring faces staring back at her.

"I asked you a question, Motoko", the patient voice of her pre-law professor drew her attention to the front of the room.

"I'm sorry Sensei", she said, standing and giving an apologetic bow, "My mind was elsewhere". It had been on a certain pair of sea grey eyes…

"That's most unlike you, are you well?"

"Hai Sensei", she replied, starting to feel embarrassed by all the attention she was drawing.

"Very well", he replied, clearly not convinced, "But try to concentrate on your studies, this course is no laughing matter Motoko, I can't afford daydreamers".

"Hai Sensei", she replied, taking her seat again, focusing on the text before her.

All too soon her mind wandered back to those familiar sea grey eyes…

* * *

When Motoko returned to the Hinata Sou, Koichi was lounging at the top of the stairs waiting for her.

She blushed slightly when he smiled at her, but quickly suppressed it remembering that he had commented on her underwear last time she had seen him.

"What do you want?", she asked curtly.

"Good to see you too", he joked, standing and dusting off the seat of his pants.

"I don't have time for idle chit-chat", she said walking past him.

"Hey", he said trotting to walk level with her, "This won't take a few minutes".

"Fine", she sighed, "What do you wish to talk about?"

"Well we sort of got off to a bad start, so I was thinking, how bought we wipe the slate clean, start again".

"Excuse me?"

"Come on, we act as if this is the first meeting", he said extending his hand, "Hi, I'm Koichi Sagura, pleased to meet you".

Motoko looked at his hand uncertainly.

"Come one Motoko, humour me…please"

The raven haired girl looked back and forth uncertainly between his hand and his open smile before tentatively taking his hand, "Motoko Aoyama".

"Pleased to meet you Motoko", he said, lifting her hand and gently kissing the back of it.

"That's quite enough of that", she said, fighting a small smile, "…Perhaps, I'll see you around"

"You never know", he said with his trademark lopsided grin, waving to her as she made her way inside.

* * *

Up in her room, Motoko found that her smile was still in place.

She dropped her shoulder bag next to her futon and walked over to her desk, her eyes lighting on the small white package waiting for her.

Motoko carefully picked it up turning it around looking for a label to say who it was from. She found it on the base of the package:

_To Motoko,_

_Sorry for everything, hope you like this_

_Koichi_

Motoko curiously unwrapped the gift and gasped.

It was a perfect crystal replica of her elder sister's guardian bird, entrusted to her little over a year ago.

The craftsman ship was perfect, right down to the subtle detail on each feather.

Motoko felt as if her smile would never fade. Perhaps having another man at the Hinata Sou wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

In another room, another of the tenants was having similar thoughts.

Half way through the first of her Sake bottles already, Kitsune reclined on her futon, her fingers absently brushing at her lips as she relived the end of her shopping trip earlier that day.

_Well I called it_, she thought, smiling wistfully, _Things are certainly going to get more interesting_.

* * *

----Author Notes----

Conflict ahoy, what's a good story without a love triangle or two hey? Next chapter already in production.

Oh and thanks to everyone who reviewed, I promise Koichi's promise will come to light eventually.

The following chapter takes place about a week after this one.

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	4. Chapter 3: Dates and Secrets: Part I

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews/support so far guys, it means a lot. Couple of points to address, this is **not** a self-insert fic. I don't know why people assume that as soon as you introduce a new character they must be the author in disguise but let me make it very clear, **THIS IS NOT A SELF-INSERT**, you feeling me people? Spiffy

Cheshirecat5: read, also you don't consider reckless impulsiveness a character flaw? Koichi's backstory will come up soon, so that'll deal with his insecurities etc, k

(Final note, only Kitsune and Motoko have any interest in him)

* * *

Chapter three: Dates and Secrets: Part I

Motoko sat on the roof of Hinata house in her training Gi, sword forgotten at her side, just watching the sunset.

_Beautiful_, she thought, tipping her head in appreciation.

"You're…beautiful" Those words had been echoing around her head for nearly a week now. They were the words she heard when she went to sleep, and those that tickled her memory and warmed her heart every time she talked to the Hinata Sou's latest addition. Motoko was no longer the naïve young woman she had been when she first moved here. She recognised the feeling stirring in her breast even if they came as somewhat of a shock to her. The only man she had ever been interested in was Keitaro so she knew she was no expert, but still… Surely it meant something when you dreamed of sea grey eyes three nights in a row…right? Motoko shook her head. Who would have thought it, Motoko Aoyama sitting, gazing at the sunset, her mind full of thoughts of a young man. She chuckled. If someone had even joked about it before, she would have cut them down where they stood. Standing, she retrieved her sword from its sheave and dropped lightly onto the deck of the laundry area to resume her practice, each swing slowly emptying her mind, bringing her closer to the inner peace preached by the Gods Cry School. As her smooth swipes banished distraction, she was left with only one image. Happy sea grey eyes.

* * *

Koichi was stunned. Never in his life had he ever seen anything so plainly outrageous, so impossible, and he had seen some strange things in his life, and lived under the same roof as Kaolla Su. 

"Please tell me you can see this too", he choked out. Keitaro looked up from where he was scrubbing the stony surface of the Hot Spring, his gaze following Koichi's line of sight, trying to figure out what had so startled the younger man.

"See what?", he asked confused.

"That", Koichi said, pointing at the turtle hovering not a meter from his face.

"That's just Tama-chan", Keitaro said as if stating the obvious, "She's our mascot as it were. My friend Mutsumi gave her to us, she used to be hers".

"She's flying", Koichi stated, feeling dumb just having said it.

"Yeah, she does that", Keitaro replied, his mind and attention already back on his work.

_"Yeah, she does that",_ Koichi mentally mimicked, _And that's not the least bit odd to you?_ He looked back up, just to assure himself he hadn't gone mad and started hallucinating, but no matter how many times he looked away and looked back, the turtle was still there, and still hovering. "Myuh", the turtle greeted him good naturedly, cocking its head to the side and raising a flipper.

"Uh… yeah, hey", he said waving back slowly. Motoko would freak if she could see this, he thought, chuckling slightly at the mental image. Motoko had been deathly afraid of turtles for as long as he could remember.

"Hey there, less daydreaming, more working", Keitaro snapped him out of his memories, smiling at the irony of that statement. The number of times Naru or one of the other girls had said something similar…

"Oops, gomen", Koichi said, turning his focus back to the stiff bristled brush he was holding, forgotten in one hand, and resuming his own scrubbing.

"Sempai?", a quiet voice called from the entrance to the baths.

"Over here Shinobu-chan", Keitaro called without looking up, waving his hand to help her locate him. The blue haired girl smiled as she found him, her light yellow dress swaying as she jogged over to them, the ice inside the glasses she carried tinkling with each movement.

"I know it's growing dark, but it's still hot, I thought you two might want something cool to drink", she said, offering the glasses of iced water out for the two men. Both accepted gratefully.

"Thanks Shinobu-chan, I needed that", Keitaro said, downing all but the ice-cubes in a few seconds.

"Ditto, thanks a lot cutie", Koichi said handing the blushing girl back his and Keitaro's glasses.

"It's ok", she said looking at her feet, "I have to go get started on diner sempai"

"Ok", Keitaro replied, "we'll be done in time, I promise" Shinobu nodded once and went back inside, stopping at the entrance briefly to cast one last glance back at Keitaro before heading in. Koichi chuckled to himself as he watched this. "What? What's funny?", Keitaro asked, cocking his head to the side to look at his assistant.

"Nothing much,", Koichi grinned, "But that young girl has a huge crush on you". Keitaro put too much pressure on his hand held brush and it slid rapidly along the slick rock, dumping him square on his face. "Wha- Why would you say something like that?" he asked, checking his nose to make sure it's not broke.

"Oh come on, I've seen the way she acts around you, always lowering her gaze and blushing all the time, only looking directly at you when she thinks you're not looking"

"Oh that", Keitaro said dismissively, "Shinobu's just very shy, she's like that with everyone". Koichi sweat-dropped as the manager resumed his work, surely this guy couldn't be that dense. The younger man shrugged and resumed his work. After a few minutes something about that conversation with Shinobu began to bug him.

"Urashima-san", he said slowly, "Did Shinobu say that she was fixing diner again?"

"Uh-huh" "But hasn't she done that every night I've been here? All the chores are rotational right? So why is it she's doing all the cooking?"

"Because out of all of us she's the only one who likes to cook, and more importantly, is the only one that really can. Although never tell Motoko and Naru I said that, I like life to much", the former Ronin said, scratching the back of his head nervously, "Besides which, would you eat something Su made?". Despite having never eaten any of Kaolla's cooking, Koichi still found himself shuddering uncontrollably at the thought. "Exactly", Keitaro said with a knowing smile, "And as for Kitsune…well, actually, come to think of it I've never tasted anything she made, but I don't think she'd handle all that work to well. But Shinobu likes what she does, it's the one area where she can share her creative talent with the rest of us…"

"Have ever told her that?", Koichi asked

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing", the other boy said with a rueful shake of the head. You give her compliments like that it's no wonder she has a crush on you, he thought resuming his work again.

* * *

Koichi sighed as he finished yet another amazing meal courtesy of Chef Maehara, making sure he didn't have anything stuck to his face. Conversation around the table was lively and upbeat, a welcome change to his early experiences at this very table. It had been a week since he had arrived here and things had improved greatly. Motoko was no longer avoiding him, in fact they had had several pleasant chats about everything from minor events like Su's latest experiment gone wrong, to how she was fairing with her life as a Tokyo U student. Koichi kept hoping that every time they talked she'd bring up the topic of their promise, but she hadn't so far. Maybe she was just looking for the perfect moment, that was all he could hope for, he had decided that he'd give it time before trying to bring it up himself. 

Naru had lowered her hostility levels tremendously as soon as Motoko accepted him, taking her friend's change of attitude as an unspoken 'ok' on his status within the household, her relaxed posture seeming to lower Keitaro's nervousness as well.

_Those two are almost perfectly in sync with each other_, Koichi thought a little enviously. May one day he could experience that himself.

Su was the same as ever, though thankfully he had managed to persuade her to leave her weapons behind when she wanted to play, something she had pouted about but ultimately excepted when he proved an excellent playmate, tough, durable, sneaky and with plenty of stamina. The others would get exhausted just watching them. Unfortunately Su's definition of a toy and a weapon differed from most peoples, the number of times he had been shocked by her version of a taser being the proof. She's also scared the hell out of him a few nights ago when, in the middle of the night, she had climbed into bed with him and attempted to break him in two with what he later learned was supposed to be a hug. No one had told him about Su's dislike of sleeping alone, and her tendency to wonder in search of a sleeping buddy, an honour usually reserved for Motoko that he had somehow 'won'.

Despite that minor trauma, things were going swimmingly… all with the minor exception of Kitsune. Ever since returning from Tokyo she had been avoiding him, and the grey-eyed boy was beginning to think he had done something to really upset her in someway. At first he had thought it just coincidence when he didn't see her for a few days. That had rapidly turned to worry and concern when she continued to avoid him, even going so far as to walk the other way when she saw him in the hallway.

Stealing a glance at her now, the slit-eyed woman seemed fine, she was teasing Naru about her lesser, ahem, development, even going so far as to try and make Keitaro judge between them. However throughout the entire meal she had not so much as looked at him the whole time.

_Maybe I went to far in Tokyo_, he thought ruefully. He had been acting on impulse again, and once more it had backfired. Hecould almost hear his Sister's resigned _"Oh Oni-chan"_, and see her shaking her head at her elder and supposedly more mature brother's antics.

He made a decision to talk to her next time he had the chance, preferably away from a crowd; he didn't want bravado taking control again.

Picking up his dishes and handing them to Shinobu with the customary compliments, he headed toward his room. He needed to plan out his day tomorrow. It was a Sunday, so he should have plenty of time to talk to her, right?

* * *

Motoko finished her meal as Koichi left the table, a thoughtful expression on his face. 

She had decided that she wanted to find out if what she was feeling right now really was like the feelings that had started her infatuation with Urashima, and to do that she needed to spend some more time around the cause of these sensations, namely one Koichi Sagura.

This meant Motoko had to do something utterly galling to her, she had to ask a man to spent time with her of her own free will, and she had no idea how to begin.

It didn't help that part of her wondered if this was the same as asking for a date, a prospect that almost rooted her to the spot.

_Oh well_, she thought as she watched him leave, shoring up her warriors courage, _No time like the present_.

Standing as smoothly as her suddenly shaky legs would allow, Motoko left the table and walked, while trying to seem hurried, out of the dining area.

As luck would have it, Koichi was sitting in the living area, idly flicking through the TV stations, trying to find something to hold his interest with little success.

He hadn't appeared to notice her entrance, and a large part of her was in favour of fleeing while she still had chance and asking later, but her pride wouldn't allow it. Thus she stood opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water and looking an utter fool.

"Can I help you Motoko?" he asked without looking round, startling her. How had he known she was here? She was sure she had made no noise a normal person should have been able to pick up on.

_Wait,_ she thought, _He knew I was here and left me standing in the corner until his own convenience!_

Had he looked around and seen her indecision also there would have been nothing that could have saved him, Motoko had come down straight from her training, and so still had her katana with her.

Suppressing her anger, Motoko strode confidently around to face him. Trying not to blush when he looked at her inquisitively and smiled.

"What's up?", he asked

Motoko felt her resolve draining.

"I… that is you see… I…oh how do other women do this…", she muttered, disgusted by her own sudden cowardice.

"You ok Motoko", he said, concern in his voice as he stood and walked over to her.

This close Motoko could have reached out and touched him if she wanted. _You're not making this any easier_, she thought angrily at him and cursing her suddenly unresponsive body and vocal cords.

"I…_ahem_, I was just wondering if you were free tomorrow… so you could maybe spend some time with me…just the two of us"

"You mean like a date?", he said looking a little taken aback.

"No!", she said louder and faster than she intended and struggling to recover, "I like to train early on a Sunday morning, while the others are sleeping, it's very peaceful, and I thought you could keep me company…if you wanted to that is".

_Oh god, I sounded like a complete airhead_, Motoko thought grimly.

"Sure"

"What?"

"I said sure, I'd love to", he repeated with another lopsided smile.

"Oh…good, then I'll come by tomorrow morning then", she said turning away to hide the goofy grin that was making a break for her face.

"Yeah, later Motoko"

"Goodnight", she answered, walking at a somewhat stiff legged gait up the stairs toward her room.

* * *

As soon as she was out of sight, Koichi let out a little _whoop_ and punched the air, doing a little victory dance, unaware he was being watched.

* * *

Motoko crashed on her futon, mentally exhausted already. She had just done it, she'd asked a boy out for the first time in her life…er, sort of anyway. 

Motoko did something that she would be mortifyingly ashamed of when she awoke. She giggled like a schoolgirl.

* * *

Later that night, Kitsune lay face down in her pillow, mentally kicking herself. 

She had been avoiding Koichi for the past week or so for the most galling reason. She had actually found herself, her, Mitsune Konno, blushing at the mere sight of him.

All it would take was one glance, the memory of his kiss would rear its head and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. So far she had managed to hide it from him, but she suspected he now thought she was avoiding him, which in a sense she was, but not for the reasons he probably believed.

To make matters worse he was three years her junior. There was only one man who had ever effected her this badly, but in his case it was understandable, but Koichi was just a boy…right.

Her mind laughed at her feeble defences, playing the memory of the kiss on a continuous loop in her head.

The fox girl groaned into her pillow, willing sleep, and hopefully a temporary reprieve to come, resolving that she'd do something about this in the morning.

Eventually sleep came, if not the release she had been hoping for.

* * *

_"So…it's a promise?"_

"_Yes Koi-kun, I promise", the raven haired young girl said, blushing prettily and tugging at her robes self consciously, "I'll never forget you"._

But you did…

_A young boy with sea grey eyes watches sadly as the car he is seated in pulls away from the temple grounds, his eyes never leaving where a beautiful woman stands with her hand placed protectively on the shoulder of her younger sister and charge._

_Slowly they fade from sight, and the world with them._

"_I'll never forget you"_

_Forget…_

Motoko…

"Koichi?", a feminine voice intrudes on his dreams, and a slender hand gently rocked his shoulder.

"Oh god, please Su, be gentle", he whimpered, still half asleep.

"Su? What would she be doing in your room?", the voice asked, this time with an undercurrent of suspicion.

Koichi prised open sleep clogged eyes and eventually forced them into focus, bringing into view a raven-haired beauty with a slight frown marring her porcelain face.

"Huh, Motoko, what are you doing here?", he said around a yawn, his brain reluctantly making the transition from asleep to awake.

"Not so quick witted in the morning are you?", she asked with somewhat of a smirk.

"I'll answer that when I'm awake", he grumbled, massaging his temples with the balls of his fingers to chase off the last vestiges of sleep.

Forget…

Koichi felt his eyes water, could she really not remember?

"Are you ok", Motoko said, almost gasping as he turned a look of absolute destitute on her, his eyes radiating sadness for a split seconded before they seemed to shutdown, his usual smile returning.

"Yeah, just need to get my bearings so to speak… a shirt would probably help too", he said throwing back the covers and padding over to his closet, not noticing Motoko's sudden discomfort as he pulled on a simple black t-shirt and ran his fingers through his hair.

As he went to close the closet, he spotted his sword lying in a corner, dust already accumulating on it.

_Maybe I shouldn't have bothered bringing you_, he thought, his melancholy returning for a spilt second, _The Sword of Two Souls…_

Plastering on a carefree grin, Koichi closed the closet and turned to face his guest, "So, where too?".

"I usually start off on the laundry annex and go from there if and as necessary", she answered, shrugging off his earlier mood as a by-product of drowsiness.

"Lead the way"

* * *

When they reached their destination, Motoko began a series of stretches and other ritual exercises, while Koichi leaned on the railing, taking in the morning view. 

Wanting to breech a silence that already seemed awkward to Motoko, she search for something to say, her mind bringing up something she was curious about.

"Do you practice Kendo, Koichi?", she said, limbering up her calf muscles with a series of stretches.

"Not really", he answered, the curtness of his reply making it clear he was trying to avoid the subject.

"But you carry a blade, surely that's not just some pretentious attempt to promote your image".

Koichi chuckled a little at that, "No. Ok, lets just say I dabble and leave it at that… how about you, how long have you been training".

"Most of my life", she stopped her exercises, frowning at his evasion, "Ever since I was a young girl, living with my elder sister".

"You don't say", he replied, the same sadness she had noticed earlier clear in his voice even if she couldn't see his face.

"I'm considered a Blademaster by some… perhaps if you have an interest I could teach you, you could even use the sword you brought with you", she offered.

"Thank you for the offer, I may just take you up on that one day", he said, still facing away from her, "but I won't be using _that_ sword".

"Why?", she asked stepping over to stand next to him.

"…It's a very special blade", he whispered, as if talking to himself, his long bangs hiding his face from her, "Father says I'm to give it to the woman I intend to be my bride…"

Motoko couldn't think of a reply to that, she had heard of some of the more traditional members of her family giving blades as bridal gifts, but hadn't thought that tradition existed outside of the Clans.

Once more she looked him over with her second sight, the results just the same as last time, he was untrained.

"…Then perhaps, with just practice swords, I would not wish any harm to come to such a valuable blade"

"Yeah", he said, his voice tinged with bitterness, "me neither".

They were both silent again for a while, just watching the cherry blossoms float lazily by.

"So, you said you come here to train", Koichi prompted, his smile back in place as he looked up at her.

Motoko wasn't fooled by his fake front, but didn't know what to do about it, so she nodded and took her usual place in the centre of the deck, taking her blade from its scabbard and assuming a basic guard stance, katana held near the hip, the blade pointing up and away from her body at forty-five degrees.

She preformed a series of basic cuts to limber up, and re-accustom herself to the blade. Any expert knew that one's sword was never the same, each time it was drawn it lost a fraction of a gram in steel, changing the weight in ways anyone but a true master would believe insignificant.

This was true even of the Hina, the possessed blade passed down through the Urashima family and entrusted to her by its heir, Keitaro Urashima. The Ominous Blade carried other risks to the unwary, as the spirit sealed within it would attempt to subdue the will of its wielder if they weren't careful.

Koichi walked around her as she lost herself in her routine, leaping and ducking, pivoting with the grace of a dancer a she fought off imaginary foes, swing the Hina like an extension of her own body.

Koichi sat himself down comfortably on the roof to watch as she ran down her mental list.

Motoko believed he was suitably impressed by her prowess and decided to take her display up to another level.

Focusing her Ki along the sword's edge as she lashed out, Motoko intoned the Gods Cry School's name for her technique as a mental focus to release the accumulated power, "_Boulder cutting blade!_".

A wave of Ki ripped forth, flying from the deck and reducing the cherry blossoms in it's path to ribbons, sending those caught in it's wake into spiralling confusion. Motoko watched, satisfied as the attack dissipated, the expended Ki returning to the ether.

"Now that was cool", Koichi complimented from where he lounged, "Where'd you learn to do that?".

"My Sister showed me", Motoko replied, smiling at the happy memories of the simpler times when it was just her and onee-sama.

_If you remember, then why don't you remember _me, Koichi thought unhappily.

"So what now?"

"I usually just practice basic forms for a while, a form of active meditation in a sense"

True to her word, Motoko resumed her basic stance and began a simple overhand swipe, stepping into the movement and then stepping back upon completion. She rapidly began to loose track of what was going on around her as she got into the repetitive motion.

"A swing and a miss", a voice called, startling her, and causing the leaf she had been aiming to bisect to drift by unharmed.

Motoko looked round angrily at Koichi, who was pointing over his shoulder with an innocent expression on his face, as if the culprit had just ducked out of sight behind the roof of the Hinata house.

"Baka", Motoko muttered at him, ignoring his grin, and resuming her practice, wondering why she had even bothered to invite this fool up here.

She had just found her rhythm when he called out again.

"Nice form", she blushed slightly at the compliment, "Ass isn't bad either"

Motoko stumbled, spinning in disbelief.

Koichi was looking at the pinnacle of the roof behind him, as if what had been a rather cute joke at first would excuse him from uttering such a vulgar and perverted statement.

He turned around, fear in his eyes as she began to advance.

"Whoa, easy there, it wasn't me!", he said holding his hands up in self-defence, "Motoko, I mean it, I would never-"

"Hentai!", she raged, funnelling her anger down the blade as she swung in his direction, "_Rock Splitting Sword!_"

"Kyahhhhhh!"

* * *

Kitsune was lying in the Hot Springs with Naru, both of them enjoying an early morning dip while the rest of the household presumably slept. 

Naru sighed as the warm water seemed to wash away all the subtle aches and pains she hadn't even realised she had, enjoying the quiet.

Wait a minute, quiet? With Kitsune? 

Naru opened her eyes to ensure that the fox girl was still in the pool. Kitsune was seated a little way off, her eyes holding a somewhat glazed expression, as if she were staring off into another world.

"Hello? Earth to Kitsune, are you in there?", she teased.

"Hmmmm? Oh, sorry, I didn't catch that last part Naru", the fox girl replied scratching her head.

"That's because I didn't say anything", Naru said, some concern working its way onto her face, Kitsune was unusually out of it today.

"…Yeah, I knew that", her friend replied sheepishly.

"Mitsune, what's wrong?", Naru asked, reverting to her friends given name to show she was worried.

Kitsune grimaced a little before answering; she'd always hated her real name.

"I'm just a little distracted I guess"

"Want to talk about what's bothering you?"

"…I guess…Naru, you know how awkward you felt when you first started to realise how you felt about Keitaro right?"

"Of course", the younger girl replied with a weak smile, her denial was had been the stuff of legends, and when she had finally begun to except her feelings things had become very difficult for her.

"Well I think I may be feeling the same way"

"About Keitaro?", Naru asked, shocked.

"No", Kitsune said glaring, Naru had such a one track mind these days.

"Then who?"

"Naru, who's the only other guy around here?"

"…You mean Koichi?"

"Bingo"

Both girls were quiet for a while.

"But isn't he a little young for you?", Naru was the first to speak.

"Mutsumi was in love with Keitaro, and she's older than him"

"By less than a year", Naru pointed out, rankled a little by the reminder of her friend's former rivalry for her fiancé's affections, deciding to jab back a little, "I never thought of you as the cradle robber type Kitsune".

"Touché", the older girl admitted

"So what are you going to do about it?", Naru pressed.

"I guess I'll talk to him about it later today", Kitsune said with an off hand shrug.

Above them there was a cry of "Pervert!" and a loud crash. Both girls looked at each other, the occurrence only raising an eyebrow.

"Keitaro", they both guessed at once with fond smiles. Of course, they'd be wrong.

* * *

---Author Notes--- 

I've decided to split this chapter into two parts; it's getting a lot longer than I anticipated, sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

A little bit of Koichi's back-story revealed at last, more to come in part two, along with a surprisingly busy week for Koichi.

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	5. Chapter 3: Dates and Secrets: Part II

Dates and Secrets: Part II

"Hey, would you be a bit more careful!", Koichi shouted as Kitsune dabbed disinfectant from the first aid kit provided by Su, on his back, cleaning away the blood that oozed from the many cuts and grazes.

"Oh don't be such a big baby sugar", she teased, dabbing the next cut with feather softness and chuckling as he still winced, "I'm just playing nurse here, besides _I'm_ not the one who told Motoko she had a cute tush, you must be a masochist or something".

"But that wasn't me!", he implored, begging someone to believe. Naru just shook her head, Shinobu blushed at Kitsune's comment and Keitaro shrugged helplessly as if to say; _"You're on your own"_.

Koichi felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

"You guys can go if you want, I'm almost done here", Kitsune said, an unspoken exchange flashing between her and Naru before the younger girl led her fiancé from the room, Shinobu in tow.

Kitsune methodically cleaned up the rest of the cuts, applying bandages where necessary.

"So if you're my nurse, does this mean I get a sponge bath?", he asked over his shoulder.

"I don't think you're in any condition to be getting fresh with me honey", the fox girl chided, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "But who knows, maybe later…"

Koichi's face went nova red and he suddenly found his throat feeling thick no matter how much he coughed.

Kitsune smiled, it was nice to be able to flirt like this again, seeing him in this sorry state and having found him embedded in the roof by an irate Motoko had knocked him down in her mind just enough that she felt comfortable conversing with him again.

"All done sugar", she announced giving him a pat on the back that made him flinch and sit up sharply.

"Did you really have to do that!"

"No, now be a man and suck it up"

"There are times I really don't like you", he growled playfully, resting his hands on the back of the chair he had just been sitting in.

"And the rest of the time?"

"Ooooooo, you two getting all kissy face on me?", a vibrant voice came from the doorway, and Koichi spun rapidly to face the blond girl it belonged to, death in his eyes.

"You!", he roared, trying to bolt forward only to find himself restrained by Kitsune, both her arms locked under his armpits, "Let me go!"

"Easy boy, did I miss something?"

"She's the one who did it!", he shouted

"Did what?", Kitsune asked confused.

"She's the one who made Motoko think I commented on her butt!"

Kitsune looked sceptically at the enraged young man, "I think Motoko can tell the difference between you and Su's voice".

"Not with this", Su said, taking a small sliver pad out from underneath her tongue, "I call it the _Voice modifier: Koi-kun edition, MkVI_".

Su rubbed the salvia-covered device against her cheek lovingly, "It's perfect, and I got to field test it today".

"You mean it really was you?", Kitsune asked, opening her eyes a little.

"Of course", she said, seemingly oblivious to the way Koichi's struggles increased, "But I just wanted to help, Koi-kun was starring at Motoko's hiny for a long time, so I knew he liked it".

Koichi stopped dead for a second.

"Tha-that's beyond the point!", he shouted his struggles resuming, "You could have got me killed!"

"Oh well"

"…Oh well, OH WELL! You're gonna tell Motoko what you did even if I have to wring the confession out of your scrawny little neck!"

"Make me", she said, pulling a face.

"That's it", he shouted, Kitsune having a hard time holding him back, "Let me at her!"

Su danced about and patted her rump at him.

"Grrh!", he screamed, finally breaking free and heading for Su like a bullet from a gun.

The tanned girl leapt above his tackle, kicking him in the head as he went by, causing his face to bounce off the floor as he skidded into the hall. Su skipped over his twitching form and cackled as she made her escape. He was up before Kitsune reached him, pausing only long enough to ask which way Su had gone before following in hot pursuit.

_Damn it Su_, Kitsune thought even as she heard those words echoed by Koichi moments later. She'd had the perfect chance to.

* * *

Motoko was pacing the living room like a caged animal. She couldn't believe that Koichi could have said something so low, so perverted, just when she was trying to figure out whether or not she liked him.

_Why?_, she thought, _Why did you have to ruin everything like that?_

Her train of thought was rather violently de-railed as Su came rocketing around the corner, a huge smile on her face, and a mischievous twinkle in her bright green eyes. The younger girl locked onto Motoko with a look she knew all to well, and Motoko braced herself for the incoming glomping as Su's feet left the ground.

"Motoko!", she squealed with mock fear, "You'll save me from the monster won't you?".

"Monster?", Motoko asked, "What monster?"

"That one", Su said, moving around onto her friends back and pointing just as Koichi came into view.

"Su! I swear, when I get my hands on you I'll…", he trailed off as he spotted Motoko, "erm…"

"State your business with my friend pervert", she said icily.

Koichi stiffened and glared back a little, "I already told you, it wasn't me, it was her", he said levelling an accusatory finger at the girl clinging to Motoko's back.

"That has got to be the most pathetic excuse I have ever heard, and believe me, I have heard a lot. You would use a young girl to shield yourself? Despicable", Motoko spat.

"But it's true damn it, she used something to make her voice sound like mine"

"Enough lies!", Motoko shouted, how dare this pervert accuse her friend. Her hand began to reach for her sword.

"Actually", Su said casually, watching an interesting dust mote from her perch on Motoko's back, "Koi-kun's right, I used my latest invention".

Removing the silver disk from her pocket, Su placed it under her tongue.

"Nice tush Motoko", she said, her voice a perfect imitation of Koichi's.

Motoko looked at her friend in shock as the implications of what she had just heard sunk in. This meant that she had just almost put an innocent man though the roof of the Hinata Sou.

"Are you mad at me Koi-kun?", Su asked with eyes that would have shamed a puppy.

"Not really Su", he said, trying but failing to resist the power of those eyes, "But that was a very bad thing you did, Motoko could have really hurt me".

The girl in question winced a little at the reminder of her lapse in judgement.

"I'm sorry", Su said with the same expression, "Here's an idea, how about I let you take me on a date like you did Kitsune to make up for it?".

Motoko's blood froze as she heard those words. _Koichi… and Kitsune… on a date?_

She looked at him, hoping that Su was joking again, but he was rubbing the back of his head awkwardly like Keitaro would when he knew he had done something wrong. _So, it's…true_, she thought sadly, wanting to be anywhere but there at that moment.

Kitsune poked her head around the corner at that moment. "So there you all are", she said, walking round, her pace slowing as she noticed the mood in the room, "Did I miss something?".

"Hold on a minute Su", Koichi asked, recovering his voice, "Why would you think I went on a date with Kitsune?"

"Because I was filming it on my Tama-cam", the young girl genius said, "I saw you two get on a train to Tokyo together, walk around shopping, stop at a café and I even saw Kitsune take you into one of those naughty underwear shops".

Motoko felt as if her heart were being slowly ground to dust with each revelation. So Kitsune had got to him first. Motoko wondered blackly if the pair had already slept together, she wouldn't have put it past the older woman.

"Kitsune just took me shopping to help me find a gift for Motoko Su, that's not a date. As for the underwear shop", he said glaring at Kitsune who whistled an innocent tune, "She thought that would make a good joke".

_It was…just a shopping trip_, Motoko thought hopefully, carefully hiding her relieved smile.

"If…if that is the case…", Motoko began, part of her mind watching in horror as the next words seemed to spew forth without her consent, "Then perhaps you would like to accompany me one night…just the two of us…on…a date…".

Koichi's smile could have eclipsed the sun at that moment, "Sure Motoko, I'd-"

"Now hold up a minute", Kitsune intervened before he could answer, realising she was about to be beaten to the punch once more, "I too have some free time this week, I was thinking _we_, might spend a little time together".

"Kitsune!"

"Motoko?"

Koichi suddenly felt as if the room had dropped a few degrees. Su apparently noticed also, because she slid of Motoko's back and backed slowly out of the room.

"Well", Kitsune said, looking at him, "Aren't you going to say something?".

"Yes Koichi, I would like to hear how you plan to resolve this"

"Me?", he squeaked.

"Yes, you", both girls said together, neither looking at the other.

Koichi looked around desperately for an exit, but they had backed him against a wall.

_This can't be happening to me_, he thought disbelievingly, _I've been hoping for something like this from Motoko since I got here…but on the other hand, Kitsune _is_ very beautiful…Why me?_

"Well?"

It was a jingling in his pocket which saved him. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew a ten yen coin and held it up for both girls to see. His plan was simple, rather than trying to choose and reject one girl for the other, he'd take both of them out on separate nights, the coin toss deciding in what order so that he couldn't be accused of favouritism. He tossed the coin and asked for one of them to call it. It was Kitsune who won, meaning that she would be the first. Koichi flinched when she began to taunt Motoko, fearing the worst, but the younger girl kept her cool just barely, the hand on her Katana white knuckled.

They sat down around the living room table and hammered out the plan. Koichi was adamant that he didn't want these dates to directly follow each other, as that would put an unfair strain on him, and possibly ruin his performance when Motoko's turn came about. Both girls agreed to this. The arguments started when he proposed times for the dates.

He wanted two days between each date for downtime and planning something Kitsune wasn't happy about because it meant she had to wait, despite being first, and something that angered Motoko because it meant that her date was almost a week away.

Eventually he managed to get sulky agreements out of them both when he threatened to call the whole idea off.

The 'negotiations' complete, both girls left to make their own plans, each making a point of giving him a quick peek on the cheek in front of the other.

When they were gone Koichi let himself fall face first onto the table.

"Why me?", he whimpered, this was not what was supposed to have happened. In his mind he heard a familiar voice, _"Oh Oni-chan"_.

* * *

The first two days seemed to rush by faster than he imagined they would, and all to soon he found himself waiting outside the Hinata Sou for his first date. Koichi tugged at the collar of his black dress shirt and shuffled his feet in his polished shoes in an attempt to feel more comfortable. It wasn't working.

He hadn't really been sure what to go for so he had opted for semi-casual hoping that he wouldn't stand out too badly.

He glanced at his watch again, wondering what was taking Kitsune. He should have known the fox girl would be 'fashionably late', even if they were residing in the same residence.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pace nervously. How the hell had he ended up in this situation? All he had wanted was to catch Motoko's attention, possibly spend a little more time around her, and now he was caught in the middle of a love triangle it seemed. Koichi mused briefly how he had thought such things never happened in real life…then again there were aspects of _his_ life most people would say the same thing about…

"Hi there sugar, hope I didn't keep you waiting to long"

Koichi turned back to face the voice, intending to ask her what had taken so long, but the power of speech seemed to abandon him momentarily.

Kitsune was wearing a chic red mini skirt with tights and a thin, black turtle neck sweater, brown flats and the subtlest hint of make up completing the image.

"So?", she said with a twirl, "How do I look?"

Koichi bent his will to forming words, but nothing seemed to come.

_Relax_, a helpful voice supplied, _Just take a deep breath, clear your throat, and breath out while moving your lips and tongue like you have done for most of your life thus far, I'm sure it'll all come back to you_.

"You look…great Kitsune", he said, causing her to nod happily and take his arm.

"So lover boy", she said playfully, "Where to?"

Koichi had given some serious thought to where he would take each girl. While Motoko struck him as the 'quiet walk on the beach' type, Kitsune was anything but, so he had discreetly asked around for tips on where to find the best nightlife in town and had been directed, after a few false starts, to some good possibilities that he had noted the addresses of before moving on.

Their first destination tonight was Hinata Palace, a nightclub that was at least semi-reputable, and just the kind of thing that Kitsune would get a kick out of. Or at least that was what he hoped. It had occurred to him repeatedly that he really had no idea how to tailor to the tastes of an older woman, so he was making a proverbial leap of faith based on what little he knew about Mitsune Konno.

They arrived at the club in good time, just after the initial rush for admittance had faded, meaning that they didn't spend awkward minutes waiting in line with nothing to do.

Koichi mentally congratulated himself on sticking around long enough to ask those extra, nit-pick questions.

As soon as they were ushered inside he wondered if he had made a mistake. Music blared loudly from a number of unseen speakers and the entire room seemed to one giant sea of pulsating flesh, with a 'safety' strip with a number of chairs and tables where the less adventurous club goers could sit back and 'enjoy the ambience'.

Koichi swallowed, he was in way over his head on this one, even Tokyo hadn't been this crowded.

He spotted the bar in the far corner and gestured to Kitsune to convey his intention. She agreed readily and he took her hand to prevent them being separated as they moved through the throng.

When they reached the bar Koichi tapped the bartender, a man with slicked back brown hair, perhaps a few years older than himself, and opened his mouth to order.

Before he could the other man spotted his companion, his face lighting up with a snake like smile.

"Konno you sexy thing", he shouted above the din, "Long time no see, what brings you back?"

"Hi Shinji", she said, "I'm just here on a date, to have a little fun, you know, the usual"

Koichi felt his heart sink a little. So much for an original night out, he should have thought to ask if anyone fitting Kitsune's description was known to frequent the place.

"A date?", he asked, looking Koichi over dismissively, "How old are you kid, about sixteen?"

Kitsune glared at the greasy man, putting a restraining hand on Koichi as he made to fire a retort back.

"Now, now boys, lets play nice shall we, I'll take two shooters Shinji"

"You sure the boy here can take it", he said, sticking a thumb in Koichi's direction.

"Oh, he can handle himself, he can handle himself just fine", she purred, draping herself against Koichi suggestively. Luckily he was still too angry at the bartender's casual insults to blush and ruin the effect.

"lucky b", Shinji muttered under his breath, ducking beneath the bar to retrieve two small glasses and pour out her order.

"Down the hatch", she said, handing one to Koichi after he had paid and downing the contents in a single swallow.

Feeling the older mans envious gaze still on him, Koichi mimicked her, to his credit not hacking up a lung as fluid seemingly originally intended as paint stripper burned a fiery track down his oesophagus.

"Smooth", he wheezed the age-old cliché, setting the glass back down roughly.

Kitsune grinned at him and grabbed his hand dragging him toward the dance floor, "Come on honey, lets kick this party into high gear!".

* * *

It now became apparent of another flaw in his seemingly perfect plan. Koichi had two left feet when it came to dancing. In any other situation his life in his younger years had equipped him with a grace and dexterity some would think supernatural, but on the dance floor he moved like a drunk and it showed.

He must have crushed the feet of half the patrons before he decided to throw in the towel and sit the next song out.

So this was how his date found him, sitting at an empty table, feeling an utter sense of failure.

"Hey now, what's with the long face? I hope I'm not that bad a date?"

"No Kitsune, you're great", his said with a genuine smile that brought back the blush the fox girl thought she had lost, "It's me, I guess I should have thought this through a little better, sorry for spoiling our evening".

"Hey", she said, squatting down to his face level, "I came here to spend some time alone with you, and that's what I got, so I'm happy".

To drive the point home she lent over and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Now what do you say, wanna give it another try?"

"Just try and stop me", he said, his confidence restored.

Kitsune led him back out onto the dance floor as the next song began, a slow song with a heavy beat.

His date place her back to him, confusing him for a second until he noticed the motion of her hips and the way she was glancing over her shoulder at him.

Kitsune raised her arms above her head, crossing them at the wrist and swaying gently in time with the music.

Moving in as close as he dared, Koichi followed her movements, locking eyes with her to prevent his gaze wondering.

They danced like that for a small eternity, and when the song changed to something more lively, his partner took the unspoken lead, showing him what moves to perform and so on.

So the night went on, until by mutual concession they decided to leave, seeking the fresh night air after hours spent in the increasingly heated and stuffy nightclub.

Koichi had suggested that they return, but Kitsune hadn't been quite ready to end the evening yet, so they had take a quiet stroll by the moonlight, until coming to one of the quieter bars the older girl frequented, and ducking inside to escape the growing chill.

Kitsune introduced him to several of her personal concoctions, making the rather worrying statement that no one who'd drunk them ever went _permanently_ blind. Still it was something new to Koichi, and soon they were both a little drunk, laughing at each other's jokes more than they really should have and swaying slightly where they sat.

Koichi found himself greatly enjoying the elder woman's company, even going so far as to talk to her about the funnier bits of his childhood, travelling with his father and younger sister Kana.

* * *

They stayed there long after midnight before making their round about way home.

"Thanks for this Koichi", Kitsune said when they reach the Hinata Sou, "It's been too long since I had a good date… you… you wanna come in?"

"Course I do, I live here after all", Koichi said, still a little merry from his rather liberal consumption that night.

"No, that wasn't….that wasn't what I meant"

Koichi mentally ticked off a list of alternate meanings behind that sentence, until he arrived at the one Kitsune was driving at. His eyes widened slightly and he suddenly felt very sober.

Kitsune nodded when it looked like he'd got it and pressed against him, "So? What do you say?"

A part of Koichi was screaming _"Go for it!"_, after all, wasn't every boys dream to win the favour of a beautiful, older and more experienced woman?

As he battled with himself he could see that young girl's face, the one he had made a promise to so long ago slipping away.

Could he really forsake that? Did it really matter if she didn't even remember?

…._Yes…Yes, it does matter… she might not recall, but I do, and I'd have to face her everyday knowing I'd betrayed that promise… If she released me, maybe I could do this, but not now._

_If she released me…_, was that what he really wanted?

"I…I'm sorry Kitsune", he said, wincing at the way her face seemed to fall a little, "You are incredibly beautiful…and I'm honoured you'd ask, but I can't do that just yet…there's to much I need to sort out".

"It's ok", she said, giving him a look of understanding and another gentle kiss on the cheek, "I'm a very patient woman".

Koichi smiled his thanks hugging her lightly before saying goodnight and heading inside.

Kitsune stood out in the moonlight for a while longer, just staring vacantly up at the moon._ I guess I lost this battle…but the war is far from over_, she thought, lifting her spirits. Koichi had made a good impression with his actions tonight, she was sure now that whoever he chose would be the one he truly wanted, and she could live with that for now.

* * *

Koichi spent most of the next day asleep on the living room couch, he felt completely wiped.

Snoozing contentedly, he never saw the stealthy figure that crept past his sleeping spot, a long package tucked securely under one arm.

The figure stopped near him, a slender hand reaching forth timidly to brush away the locks of messy hair that had fallen over one of his eyes, but halting uncertainly and reluctantly drawing away.

Moments later the figure was gone.

* * *

Koichi looked himself over critically in the mirror. He was wearing black t-shirt with the word "Ninja", printed across the chest in white block capitals, the rest of his apparel being the same as always.

_Father would have a stroke if I saw this_, Koichi thought with a chuckle, raking his hands through the organised chaos that was his hair and belatedly checking his breath and popping one of the small mints he had brought earlier.

It was midday on a gloriously warm Saturday, the day of his date with Motoko. Once again he had a carefully planned itinerary, this time however having made sure not to make an ass of himself by including things that either of them couldn't do.

It was to meet Motoko out front, just as he had Kitsune, in approximately five minutes.

"Show time", he said stuffing his wallet into his pocket and heading out the door.

* * *

Koichi stomped his boots on when he reached the entranceway and stepped out into the summer heat, closing his eyes and opening his arms as if to greet the day personally.

He glanced down at his watch briefly. _Only one minute to go_, and if he knew Motoko…

_3, 2, 1…_, he mentally counted down. The door behind him slid aside and he was stunned for the second time that week.

Motoko stood, her hands clasped demurely or perhaps anxiously in front of her, but it was what she wore that held his attention.

It was a square cut, one-piece summer dress. Pure white, accenting her pale skin and contrasting nicely with her raven tresses, the bangs of which seemed to have been crimped for the occasion, the rest having been tied back in a simple ponytail at the nap of her neck.

_She's gorgeous_, he thought admiringly as the wind played with the knee length hem of her dress.

"You look great Motoko", he said causing her blush a little and look away, "Are you ready?"

She nodded mutely, following as he led the way.

Koichi had found inspiration for this trip in one of the local papers. There had been mention of an exhibit at one of Tokyo's museums, on a recently discovered set of Samurai artefacts, some of the oldest ever recovered intact.

Truth be told, Koichi had to admit to himself as he paid for he and Motoko's train fare, he had another reason for taking her to see the new items besides the obvious. He was hoping that being, with him, around things she was familiar with in a setting that was similar to of her childhood, she might recall a certain promise made by two children a long time ago…

* * *

The train ride was quiet, Motoko didn't seem to know what to say, and Koichi's mind, usually churning with a wide variety ideas that he could ramble on about to strike up a conversation, was curiously silent.

They reached their stop and disembarked still without speaking. Koichi was beginning to feel uneasy about this whole thing as they walked to their first destination barely uttering more than a few words at a time.

Things brightened a little when they actually reached the museum. Motoko was impressed with his choice of venue, wondering around the latest section, calling him over when she spotted something interesting or found something that she believed labelled wrong.

Koichi was able to impress her by not only following her commentary, but even correcting it on occasion, showing a great deal of knowledge in the areas she herself had been schooled in as a child.

Once more she was being shown that there was more to this boy than met the eye, and it…intrigued her, to find out more.

When they tired of the museum, Koichi had suggested they take a stroll down to the park.

Their conversation was much more animated this time, as they mocked some of the more outrageous mistakes made by the museum's so called experts.

Motoko had even had the courage to take his hand as they walked, even if it had taken several minutes for her to stop blushing afterwards.

On impulse, Koichi had hired out one of the row boats available at the lake in the centre of the park, and they had spent part of the afternoon drifting idly along, chatting just as they would at home, comfortable and happy in each others exclusive company.

Motoko thanked the waiter as he set the frozen dessert down in front of her. She had commented on the hot weather and Koichi had brought them to a small café he knew to get something to cool down.

He was currently sipping a chilled coffee and gazing out at the throngs of people passing by, going about their daily lives.

Motoko found herself tracing the outline of his jaw with her eyes, the set of his shoulders and the muscle structure visible through his shirt. If not ripped his was certainly in good shape she mused, blushing and chiding herself for having such thoughts.

As she sat there an old memory surfaced. The time she had seen Naru-sempai and Urashima in a similar situation, just as Naru had been about to feed her date some of her ice-cream.

Motoko chuckled at the irony of the situation.

"What's funny?", Koichi asked, raising a curious eyebrow as she giggled.

"Nothing", she assured him, an idea forming in her head, "Koichi, say ahhhhh"

He looked confused until she lifted up her spoon, a small amount of the chilled dessert on it and held it out toward him.

Grinning, Koichi obediently opened his mouth and closed his eyes, "Ahhhh"

"Who's the tease now?", an amused voice enquired from behind Motoko, causing her to jerk forward, the dessert landing on Koichi's face.

"AH! Cold!", he said, his eyes flying back open as he grabbed a napkin to remove the icy substance.

"Na-Naru-sempai!", Motoko stuttered, wondering what the older girl was doing here, and if she had somehow read her mind.

"Sorry about that", Naru said, smiling apologetically at her friend, "I didn't mean to startle you like that".

Naru was standing behind Motoko, Keitaro next to her smiling apologetically at the younger couple.

"What are you two doing here anyway? On a date?", she teased.

"Yes actually", Koichi said, taking hold of Motoko's hand, causing her to blush slightly hoping Naru wouldn't see the sudden change of colour.

"Oops, my bad", the brown haired girl said, smiling at the pair.

"What are you and Urashima doing here anyway?", Motoko asked to divert attention away from herself and Koichi.

"Seta phoned to ask the big lug here to sort out a new shipment of earthenware for him while he and Haruka are away, and naturally he agreed without remembering that he had promised to spend the day with me, so here we are", she said giving her fiancé a look of fond annoyance.

"Speaking of which Naru, we need to head over there now if we want any time left today, let's leave the youngsters to their date", he joked.

"Youngsters?", Naru asked, a dangerous edge to her voice, "Are you implying that I'm old Keitaro?".

"No!", he said, waving his arms defensively and backing away, "I would never say something like that".

"But you were thinking it"

"No Narusegawa, I wouldn't!", he said breaking into a sweat and making a run for it.

"Get back here Keitaro!", the brown haired girl shouted giving chase.

"Help meeeeeeee!", his voice filtered through the crowd as they both faded from sight.

"….Well, that was unique", Koichi sweat-dropped.

"If only", Motoko sighed ruefully, disappointed that her moment had been ruined by the Hinata Sou's most famous couple.

"I'm no longer that hungry", she said, pushing the dessert aside, "Do you want to call it a day?".

"Sure", Koichi said, knowing that Naru and Keitaro's little interruption had spoiled the mood somewhat, no matter how unintentionally.

* * *

The ride back was as quiet as the ride there, but this time neither minded much, they were content to simply hold hands, and Koichi was surprised to realise, that unlike when he had been with Kitsune that day, he really didn't mind the attention of the other passengers…

* * *

Koichi rested his back against the wall outside Motoko's room.

When they had returned, she had informed him that she had something to give him, and taken him upstairs, instructing him to wait where he now stood before vanishing inside and closing the door.

Koichi's mind speculated on what she could want to give him, his fantasies occasionally dipping into the ridiculous and the x-rated much to his own chagrin.

Eventually the door slid aside and Motoko stepped out with something clutched behind her back.

"Firstly, I would like to thank you for a wonderful day, I enjoyed myself a lot".

"Me too Motoko", he said causing her to smile.

"I'm glad… I'd like to give to something to say thank you for today".

Bringing her hands around from behind her back, Motoko presented him with a bokken, carved carefully from polished oak, the inscription: _For Koichi_, indented into the wood of the pommel in Kanji.

"I promised to teach you after all, and I can't do that if you don't have something to practice with", she said, watching with worry as his expression flickered for a second. Had she done something wrong? Maybe she should take it back…

Seeming to notice her inner distress, Koichi took the proffered gift reverently.

"Domo arigato, Motoko-chan", he said with a slight bow, the last making her blush again. He had hoped for a split second when she said the word 'promise' that she had finally remembered, but he could live with it this time if she didn't.

"There is one other thing", she said, bracing herself.

"Wha-", was as much as he got out before she darted forward, pressing her lips softly against his.

It didn't take him long to respond, wrapping his arms around her and deepening the kiss.

Ever nerve ending felt on fire for Motoko, she hadn't even experienced this when she had kissed Urashima, true he had never returned the kiss, but still…

When they broke apart, Motoko was a little breathless and flushed, hardly daring to believe the boldness of her own actions.

"Motoko…", Koichi said, looking into her eyes, he'd made up his mind, he was going to tell her, "I-"

"Ooooooo", a voice crooned from nearby, "Koi-kun and Motoko sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-"

"That's it shrimp!", Koichi bellowed, spinning to face Su, the bokken he had just received in hand, "Your going down"

Su squealed as he charged her, running as only Kaolla Su could.

Motoko smiled wistfully as Koichi chased her around the corner, still yelling, but to her at least, clearly enjoying the chase.

It was nice to know that he liked her best friend and that she liked him in return.

* * *

That night Motoko dreamed of a little boy with sea grey eyes.

"_So…it's a promise?"_, the boy said, his voice full of excitement and his eyes alive with hope.

"_Yes Koi-kun"_, she heard herself respond with that same excitement, her voice somehow higher, younger, _"I promise"_

_I promise…_

_Promise…_

What did I promise?

* * *

---Author Notes---

Oh aren't I evil, hehehe, cliff-hanger it is. Thus ends chapter 3 at last, now onto the one I've been wanting to write since I started this, chapter 4: Promise: Twin Blades, Fight! The chapter I've been wanting to write since I started this whole project.

Coming up: Promises revealed, secrets explained, a past uncovered and a choice to be made…

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	6. Chapter4: Promise:Twin Blades, Fight 1

Chapter four: Promise: Twin Blades, Fight! (Part I)

"No, more like this"

"That's what I'm doing!"

"Look, are you going to do this right or not at all?"

"Fine"

"Good, now reposition you're hands and get a better grip. I want some effort put into it this time"

"Hai _sensei_"

Motoko stepped back from Koichi, placing her hands on her hips in unconscious irritation, "Do you want me to teach you or not?".

Koichi sighed and readjusted his hands on the Bokken as she had directed, trying not to look upset with how off balance the weapon suddenly felt.

"Better", Motoko said with a satisfied smile, walking around him to inspect his stance. Legs set just at the right width apart, right leg forward, left back and his leading shoulder tucked in, the wooden blade held securely by the pommel at his left hip extending up and away from it at forty-five degrees.

_His form is impressive_, she said, completing her circuit and folding her hands thoughtfully. She had only been teaching him for three days, but it was clear that he had received at least so rudimentary training if not the more advanced skills she was considering teaching him.

There was after all no formal rule that forbid her teaching a student now that she had been granted the title Blademaster, it was just that those who achieved that level were usually recalled to the family grounds were there were plenty of young trainees eager to be instructed.

Privately, Motoko was much happier with this arrangement.

He was wearing the baggy white Gi he had purchased the previous day, the one he had ripped the sleeves off because, and to quote him _"It looks cooler"_. A rather frivolous reason, but it did give him greater manoeuvrability, something that was helpful when one was only learning.

His face was set and serious, but when he noticed Motoko looking him over he winked cordially.

The raven haired girl smiled at his impish behaviour, but that didn't stop her reprimanding him but giving his shins a sharp _thwack_ with her own practice sword.

"Spoilsport", he muttered, affecting a look of faux hurt.

"This is serious business Koichi", she said, softening her tones so as not to sound too stern, "These practices form the very core of the Aoyama family. As such they deserve our respect and attention".

"Yeah, I know", he said, keeping his eyes facing forward, "But what's the point in learning something if you can't have fun doing it… You can't put your heart into something you hate Motoko-chan".

She felt her cheeks colour at the use of the affectionate term. He only ever used it when they were alone, probably out of consideration for Kitsune, the other contender for his heart. Motoko wondered jealously if he referred to _her_ like that when they were alone…

Shaking unwelcome thoughts of her rival seducing Koichi from her mind, Motoko focused on his words. It was true that you couldn't achieve your full potential without your heart clear and commited. Her last battle with Keitaro and her sister had proven that. However _fun_ was not really a consideration for her during training, and she couldn't see how it would help her, or anyone else improve.

"That's true, but too much fun will only damage your progress Koi-kun".

Koichi seemed to stumble in place for a second before recovering, "Wha-what did you just call me Motoko?".

Motoko frowned, had she over stepped the line again? She was still afraid that kissing Koichi in the corridor that day might have intimidated him. He had yet to kiss her again since. Maybe using such an affectionate term wasn't appropriate just yet.

"I'm sorry, Su uses that name all the time, so I thought you wouldn't mind… I apologise Koichi, it was presumptuous of me".

Koichi had turned away from her to hide his look of anguish. Was this how it was to be? Coming so close to the girl he remembered, teasing him with glimmers of memory?

"Koichi?"

"It's ok Motoko", he said, smiling at her while he screamed inside, "You just caught me off guard… I think I'm done for today… I'm going to go take a bath…later".

Motoko watched, torn, as he scooped up his weapon from where he had dropped it and shuffled slowly down the steps of the laundry annex.

It had felt so natural to call him that, so why had he responded with such sadness? In her mind she saw a flash of a young boy with happy sea grey eyes…the same boy from her dream.

What was she trying to remember?

_Koi-kun…_

* * *

Koichi shrugged off the last of his clothes, depositing them in the hamper left there for dirty laundry.

He slumped against the wall after tying on a towel, staring vacantly out at nothing. His sea grey eyes were flat and lifeless, barely reflecting what they saw.

Motoko… 

Shrugging off his darkening mood, Koichi walked out into the open air Hot Spring that had made the Hinata Sou famous in its days as an inn.

In his current state, he was halfway into the water before he realise that he wasn't alone. Kitsune blinked up at him from were she sat, relaxing comfortably in the warm water.

"Oops", he said, turning around so that he wasn't looking at her semi-naked body, "Didn't know anyone else was in here, I'll come back later".

He had one foot on the edge of the pool when she called out to him, "Hold on there, you might as well join me, I'm almost done anyway".

"Seriously?", he asked, glancing over his shoulder and raising an eyebrow.

"Course I am, now sit down already".

Koichi wadded back in and took up a seat a respectful distance way, propping himself up against a handy rock.

"You can come a little closer than that sugar", the older woman laughed, "It's not like I'm gonna bite you or anything…well, not unless you're into that sort of thing anyway".

With his head leant back, and his face pointing toward the sky, Kitsune couldn't see his return smile, but it was there. Trust Kitsune to pull him out of a bad funk with some casual flirtation.

Responding to her offer, he scooted over until they were sitting only a few feet apart, once more reclining his head and fighting the impulse to try and peer down Kitsune's rather inadequate towel.

Koichi felt rather peaceful, just lying there, not a care in the world. No family to worry about, no Motoko, and for a split second, even that promise faded into the ether.

"So", Kitsune said, breaking his peace, "What brings you down here so early in the day?"

"It's after 5pm Kitsune", he said, as always amazed by the fox girl's version of time management.

"Yeah, but I only got up a few hours ago, so that makes it technically morning".

Koichi couldn't help but chuckle. That sure sounded like Kitsune's casual slant on life.

"Point taken. To answer your question I was training with Motoko this afternoon".

"Oh", Kitsune said, her look souring.

"Don't worry, we only trained", he said with a gentle smile, understanding the fox girls concerns.

"Promise"

"On my honour", he said with a face so serious it was ludicrous, and made the older woman laugh just like he had hoped it would.

"Hey, you want me to scrub your back?", she asked, holding up a sponge.

Koichi looked at it dubiously, he felt a little guilty for been suspicious of her motives, but after their date…

"Now, now, put those dirty ideas out of your head, you're getting almost as bad as Keitaro".

Koichi pulled a face at her at the idea of being compared to the scatterbrained manager. He was a nice enough guy and all, but for a Tokyo U student he sure was dense at times.

He shrugged and turned around, allowing Kitsune to guide him back until she could reach properly.

"Hehehe", she giggled as she began sponging his back, "Looks like you get that sponge bath after all hey stud".

Koichi reddened a little at her choice of words, but managed to laugh back.

As she carefully wiped away all the sweat and dirt, mindful to avoid the cuts that were still healing from when Motoko had made a roof ornament out of him, Koichi let his mind wonder again. Things could be like this everyday he mused. Just him and a beautiful older girlfriend…and a promise left broken.

That brought him out of his daydream, his brow wrinkling in a frown.

He felt soft, female hands grasping his shoulders and pulling him backward.

"Hey! Wha-"

Kitsune placed a shushing finger over his lips as she lay him back, pillowing his head on her chest and draping her arms around him gently.

"Tell me what's bothering you Koi-kun", she said at a near whisper, her face close enough that he could actually she the eyes that always seemed closed. They were an enchanting shade of burgundy, an off red the same colour as fine red wine. It was the perfect shade for Kitsune, and not just because of her love of all things alcoholic, but because when seen, they changed her face from a beautiful one, to a mesmerising one. _I wonder how many people have seen those eyes?_, he wondered, _Maybe this is why she always keeps them closed…_

"What if…", he began, unsure how much to tell, or even where to start. Kitsune smiled at him encouragingly, waiting patiently for him to carry on.

"…What if you made a promise to someone a long time ago…"

"I think I'm familiar with this story", she said with a sardonic grin. When she didn't elaborate he continued.

"What if you made a promise… something deep, something that had burned in the back of your mind ever since you were a child…what if you finally thought you could make it come true, but the person you made your promise to didn't even remember your face?".

"Motoko…", Kitsune guessed, the sadness in Koichi's eyes the only confirmation she required.

She sat there, unable to think of what to say, unconsciously brushing the steam slicked bangs of his hair away from his face.

"What will you do now?", the fox girl asked quietly.

Koichi looked up at her and sighed, "…I don't know…".

They were both silent again.

Reluctantly, Koichi sat up, pulling away from Kitsune and standing, "I guess I should be going…I promised Shinobu I'd help her with diner tonight…I'll see you there?".

Kitsune shook her head briefly, "No, I have to help Mutsumi at the tea house tonight…you can drop by if you want, first drink is on the house".

"I'll do that", he promised, "And Kitsune".

He walked over and cupped her face, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Thanks…you know, for listening".

"Anytime", she responded, waving as he ducked into the changing area.

_Oh boy_, she thought, _This isn't good for me_.

* * *

When she finished her bath, Kitsune changed into her work clothes, a purple top and beige shorts, with a black apron proclaiming her a staff member of the Hinata Teahouse emblazoned across it in white.

She ran an eye over herself in her rooms small mirror.

_My hairs growing out again_, she noticed, _Maybe I'll just leave it like that this time_.

Pinning her name badge in place, the fox girl made her way over to the small store she ran with her assistant and co-owner, Mutsumi Otohime.

* * *

Originally Haruka had planned to leave the teahouse to Mutsumi exclusively, seeing as she was an old friend of both Keitaro and Naru, and the daughter of one of the Hinata Sou's most frequent guests when the place had been open to visitors.

Unfortunately, Mutsumi's anaemia and fainting spells, not to mention her near fatal bad luck when anywhere in the proximity of Keitaro, meant that giving her sole ownership was likely to result in her passing out and accidentally setting the building alight in some way.

With Naru already busy with her teaching job and co-managing the Hinata Sou, and the other girls all too young to own property. She had reluctantly, and in Kitsune's opinion, rather insultingly, turned to the fox girl for assistance.

Kitsune was actually rather good with money when it was purely her own and not flim-flamed from someone else, and so the teahouse had, if not exactly boomed, kept from going bankrupt under her watchful eye.

When she arrived, Kitsune found the place quiet and locked up tight.

She sighted and rubbed her temple with her free hand while she fished around in the apron's pocket for her key and opened the door. Mutsumi was late again.

Kitsune flicked on the lights and as there were few windows in this old structure, and unlocked the door to the kitchen, mechanically going about setting up the cookers and other modern appliances.

Her mind free to wonder, she was drawn back to what Koichi had told her in the bath. He had made a promise to Motoko as a child, a promise she didn't remember. The questions was, what should she do with this information. Should she attempt an all out assault while Motoko was still in the dark and Koichi's heart was undecided? Or would it be better to tell Motoko and fight for him on even ground?

_The power of a promise_, everyone at the Hinata Sou knew from experience just how strong that power was, could she, Kitsune stand against it?

"Ara!", she heard a startled exclamation followed by a loud _thump_, returning to the serving area of the teahouse in time stop the runaway watermelon making a break for it under the counter.

"So you finally got here Mutsumi", Kitsune noted, sweat-dropping as she watched the older woman pick herself up and dust herself off with practiced ease.

"Excuse me? Oh, yes, I'm here now, my classes ran over a little", she said, scratching the back of her head in a manner eerily similar to Keitaro, "erm…have you seen my watermelon?".

Kitsune scooped up the wayward fruit and presented it to the other girl, who took it happily, looking for a spilt second as if she might actually scold it for running away like a naughty child.

The sandy haired girl looked on in wonder, how did this seemingly air headed woman get such high scores so consistently? Kitsune had asked once and Mutsumi had made fun of her by showing her a pencil with numbers written on the faces…or at least Kitsune _thought_ she had been making fun of her. Motoko had once said the Okinawan girl had the luck of a goddess on her side.

Motoko.

That name brought Kitsune full circle back to her original problem.

"Are you ok Kitsune-san?", the older woman questioned, looking at her friend curiously.

Kitsune smiled weakly. That was Mutsumi for you, she might seem like she didn't have a thought in her head at times, but she was intimately tuned to the emotions of those around her, and had the world's sweetest disposition to boot.

…And still she had given up her own happiness so that Keitaro could fulfil his childhood promise to Naru. Was Kitsune doomed to follow in her friend's footsteps?

"Kitsune?", Mutsumi repeated, looking worried.

"I'm fine Mutsumi", she reassured the other woman, "Just have a lot on my mind right now…"

"Fu-fu, a boy perhaps?", Mutsumi said, smiling knowingly.

Kitsune gapped at her for a full half a second before shaking her head, "One of these days, you're going to have to tell me how you do that".

"I knew it", the brown haired girl said, clasping her hands together excitedly, "Ara, young love".

"Young love?", Kitsune questioned, chuckling slightly, "Mutsumi, you're only a few years older than me".

"I am?"

"Yes", Kitsune said patiently, waiting for the older girl to sort this out in her head.

"Yes, yes that's right, so who is the lucky man? Is it Kei-kun?"

Kitsune actually laughed out loud at this, causing her friend to screw up her face. Kitsune apologised when she was able, she knew how much the older girl still liked Keitaro even if she couldn't show it as much as she'd like to anymore.

The fox girl related the story of Koichi's arrival at the dorm, his letter from Granny Hina and everything that had happened since, including the rivalry between her and Motoko and his revelation of his childhood promise to her in the Hot Springs.

Mutsumi absorbed all of this silently, he face understanding and non-judgemental.

When Kitsune finished her story she felt drained, and a little depressed.

The other woman was quiet for a minute before responding.

"So what do you intend to do?"

"What can I do…how did you do it Mutsumi, how did you let Keitaro go?".

"Because I knew Kei-kun and Na-chan were meant to be together, and not just because of their promise. I could see it in his eyes", Mutsumi said, her eyes assuming a far away look, "When he looked at me I didn't see what was there when he looked at her… I knew Kei-kun was attracted to me, but lust isn't love, no matter how much we might want it to be…".

Kitsune absorbed all of this in silence.

_The look in his eyes_, her most recent memory of Koichi flashed into her head, him looking up at her with big sad eyes…while talking about Motoko.

The look in his eyes…

* * *

The following day, Koichi sat in his room. Starring at the bokken propped against the wall over from him

He had been putting this off for too long, there was no telling how bad the damage would be if he kept delaying. Motoko was at Tokyo U, so he should be able to do this in privacy.

Standing, he made his way over to the wooden sword, his hand grasping the polished handle roughly, as if wrestling with a dangerous serpent.

Hefting it, Koichi rested it over one shoulder and made his way over to the window, placing one foot on the ledge.

It's been to long, far to long 

With that thought he leapt…

* * *

Motoko sat alone on the train back to Hinata.

To anyone who looked, it was clear that something pained her, some turmoil going on beneath the surface. With unspoken consent, the other passengers gave her a wide birth, letting her deal with her misery in peace.

The raven-haired girl was thinking about Koichi. She mentally replayed the events of the previous day, trying to find a reason why he would be so upset by such casual words.

Was it the affection that upset him? That she had been the one to use it?… Or was it something else?

Once again, images came unbidden from some hidden recess of her mind. Images of a little boy with sea grey eyes.

"Koi-kun", she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, "Who are you?".

She felt her eyes water and her shoulders hunch, "Please, tell me who you are".

One moment she was spiralling deeper and deeper into confusion. The next it was as if a switch had been turned on in her brain and her second sense flared to life. Somewhere nearby, someone was radiating spiritual energy like a beacon.

Motoko jerked her head around rapidly, startling several passengers, her eyes locking in of the light in the distance only she could see.

It was coming from the Hinata house.

As soon as the doors opened, Motoko flew from them, leaping clear over those waiting to board, ignoring their startled cries and angry shouts. She had felt this energy several times before in the past few weeks, and she was determined that this time it would not elude her.

There were several heavily wooded areas near the Hinata Sou, and Motoko recognised the one she was heading toward as one of her former favourite training spots.

She had to congratulate whoever this person was, they certainly knew a lot about Ki, using a place that still held the residue of her own expended power to shield themselves from notice.

Obvious however, no one had ever told this person that such tricks only worked if you kept your own Ki tightly controlled, as any novice of the Gods Cry School would know.

Motoko slowed as she felt herself drawing near, pulling in her own spiritual energy tightly to mask her presence and stealing through the underbrush like a wraith, flitting from shadow to shadow.

She located the sounds of battle and inched closer, pinpointing the clearing they originated from.

Pressing her back to a tree, Motoko peered around its bulk cautiously…and froze.

Koichi stood at the centre of the clearing. A clearing she could see now was not natural, but seemed to have been made somehow, and recently.

He was holding the bokken she had given him calmly at one side, his eyes closed as if meditating.

_What is he doing here?_, Motoko thought, her eyes still alert for signs of whoever was putting out this new Ki, was he here to try and face the owner of such spiritual power? That was madness, he'd be slain without effort.

Slowly his eyes opened and he focused on a tree stump a few meters away.

"_Oni's Bane School, Secret Technique_", he intoned, his voice sounding deeper somehow, and seeming to reverberate around the clearing, "_Serpent's Strike!_".

The bokken lashed out and Motoko felt another surge of Ki as a coiled mist of energy shot forth from his blade, the tip of it opening like the maw of some terrible snake as it cleared the gap in seconds, tearing into the wood and raining splinters in all directions.

Koichi continued to admire his handiwork for a second before returning the bokken to his side as if sheaving a true blade and walking away.

Motoko felt herself slide weakly to the ground, the forest suddenly deafeningly quiet.

Koichi was the source of that power, she had just witnessed it with her own eyes. That meant…what? That he was a member of one of the rival schools? An assassin perhaps, from a jealous clan come to kill her in a moment of weakness?

Motoko felt betrayed, he had lied when she had asked him if he had any previous training, who knew what else he was lying about.

Motoko did the only thing she could think of, she curled into a ball and wept.

* * *

The next day, Koichi knew something had gone terribly wrong.

He saw no sign of either Motoko or Kitsune, and could find neither of them in their rooms.

He feared that he had waited to long to decide between them, and now he had lost them both.

Sitting alone in his room, the _Sword of Two Souls_, across his lap, Koichi wrestled with the idea that he may have lost them both. Wild, sexy Kitsune, and beautiful, strong Motoko. It was unthinkable. He couldn't bare it…He wouldn't bare it!

_I'm going to tell her_, he thought, gripping the _Sword of Two Souls_ so hard it hurt. He had to tell her, he wouldn't allow things to fall apart without an explanation, he owed her that much, consequences be damned.

_So this is what they mean by 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'_, he thought ironically.

He stood, determination coursing in his veins.

The door to his room slide aside and Kitsune stepped in closing the door again without a word and clutching her one arm with the other, looking lost and unsure.

"Kitsune?", he said, concern denting his resolve, "What's wrong?".

"We need to talk sugar", she said, not looking him in the eye, " Can we sit down?".

"I like you", she said without preamble as soon as they were seated, shocking him with the frankness of her admission, "…I…like you a lot…it's been a long time since I liked any guy this much. That's for a good reason, I've been hurt in the past trying to hold onto feelings that were doomed from the start…".

"That's why I need to know", she said, looking at him for the first time, her eyes moist with tears, "How you feel about me?".

Koichi was silent for a long time, and Kitsune felt the shameful tears she had cried earlier threatening to return.

"Kitsune…"

"Kiss me", she whispered, causing his head to snap up in her direction.

"What?"

"Kiss me", she repeated, swallowing her courage, "If you don't want to say it then kiss me…I'll know after that".

Koichi starred into her eyes, trying to judge whether she was serious. There was no sign of humour anywhere on her face.

Nodding, Koichi moved closer, gentle clasping her shoulders as she closed her eyes, leaning in and brushing her lips with his.

This kiss was feather light but packed the kick of 240Volts, as Kitsune threw all of her years of experience into the moment, trying to make it perfect in her memory, so that if nothing else, she would still have this.

She gently pulled away, scared but hopeful of what she might see in his eyes.

They were such a wonderful sea grey she thought, and in them she saw reflected…Motoko.

Kitsune blinked, Mutsumi had said that his eyes would tell her how he felt, but this seemed ludicrous.

"Koi….Koichi", a fragile voice uttered from behind her, and Kitsune turned around to see Motoko standing in the doorway, tears in her eyes and betrayal written across he face.

Motoko bolted, leaving them sitting there in shock. Kitsune brought her attention reluctantly back to the young man she had fallen in love with.

_Mutsumi was right_, she thought sadly.

"Koichi", she said gently, stroking his face to get his attention.

"Ki-Kitsune…I-"

She placed a finger on his lips to silence him, feeling sad to realise that this might be the last time she could do anything this intimate.

"Go after her"

"What? I don't understand…"

"Yes you do, now go already".

Koichi gave her a look of heart shattering gratitude, kissing her briefly on the cheek before taking off in the same direction as Motoko, sword in hand.

Kitsune sat there for a long time after he left.

_I've done it again, sacrificed my own happiness for that of my friend………They better at least remember to invite me to the wedding_, she thought, a bittersweet tear tracing a lonely path down her cheek…

* * *

Koichi eventually caught up with Motoko at the laundry annex. She was sitting on the roof under the moonlight, her knees tucked into her chin and her arms wrapped around them.

"…Hi", he said eventually, "Mind if I come up?"

"Go away", she said, "Leave me alone, you already have _her_".

Koichi winced at the hurt in her voice as he climbed up next to her.

"Motoko…"

"Why are you still here, you made your choice", she said, the last few words sounding like she'd had to force them out.

Koichi looked away, and down at the sword he had carried up with him, a small smile making its way onto his face as he realised just how right she was. And just how wrong.

"You're right Motoko", he said lying back on the roof and looking up at the stars, "I did make my choice tonight".

"Then what are you waiting for", she said, her shoulders rocking with silent sobs, "Go be with her"

"…I am", he said, watching as she looked over her shoulder at him incredulously.

"But, I saw-"

"It didn't mean anything…Kitsune wanted to see if we would ever be more than friends. By her own admission we're not…"

Koichi took a deep breath, wondering if he should tell her the rest… Yes, it was time.

"I've been in love with you since I was a child Motoko", he breathed.

"Don't say something so stupid", she said turning away to hide her blush.

"It's true…do you remember when you were a young girl, about five, maybe six?"

"Yes"

"Do you remember about that time, the big controversy caused when your sister announced her marriage?"

"I do", Motoko muttered, wondering how he could know of such things.

"Around that time, the heads of all the Schools gathered at the Aoyama Temple, to discuss the implications of succession with Tsuroko being wed soon…amongst them was a man…my father, he brought with him his infant daughter and only son…me".

Motoko had a flash of a young boy with sea grey eyes, wondering around the Temple she had called her home for most of her life, lost and afraid.

"You were so scared…I felt sorry for you", she said in wonder as the memories continued to unfold.

"That's right, you were my only friend during that time, even if you did spend most of it clinging to your sister as often as you could…that's probably why you don't remember me. When she left you felt betrayed, and sealed away all of your unhappy memories of that time.".

Motoko's eyes widened as the images continued to some, faster and faster, until…

"We…we made a promise", she said.

"Yes", he said, his face lighting up in a glorious smile, "What did we promise Motoko-chan, try to remember".

"We…", more images, random words that made no sense, "we…".

Suddenly something clicked inside her brain and she remembered.

"We promised to always be together…", she said hardly believing what she said.

"Together always", he said, reciting the words as they played in her mind, "Man and wife".

Motoko's throat felt dry, she didn't know what to say. How had she forgotten such a promise, and how could she have made it in the first place?

Koichi, mindful of her dazed state gently led her off the roof, kneeling before her once they were on even ground.

"Aishete, Motoko-chan", he said, raising the _Sword of Two Souls_ above his bowed head, "It would honour me greatly, if you would consent to be my wife".

Motoko knelt down in front of him, gently lowering his hands until the sword rested in his lap.

She made sure to look him in the eye, "I'm sorry Koichi, but I cannot except"

His face was stricken. Slowly a smile appeared.

"I understand", he said with fake cheer, "It was a stupid thing to do right, I mean it was just two kids, no big deal".

"No Koichi", she said, taking his head delicately in her hands, "What I mean is I'm not ready for something like that just yet…but one day, I would like to keep our promise".

"Do you really mean that?"

By way of answering, Motoko captured hid lips in a passionate kiss.

"…I'll take that as a yes", he said when he could breath again.

Motoko smiled and leaned against his chest.

"Aishete, Koi-kun"

Koichi smiled as he stroked her long black hair.

"Koi-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Could you stay with me tonight?"

"Motoko!"

"Hentai", she said, punching his ribs playfully, "You know I don't mean that. There's a lot going through my mind right now, so I want to be with someone I feel safe with".

"Of course Motoko, whatever you need", he said smiling softly down at her, "Whatever you need I'll be here for you…"

* * *

As a new day dawns, and a new wind sweeps the concrete valleys of Hinata, a beautiful woman with long raven hair stands at the foot of the stairs that lead to the place of legend, known as the Hinata Sou.

With her grace and flowing ebony hair she would catch the eye of any man, but it is the form hugging Miko's robes that make her standout the most, that an the wide brimmed hat that covers all but the lower portion of her face.

So why do no men approach this vision you ask? Well that might have something to do with the confident way she carries the Katana at her waist, warning even the ignorant that this is not a woman to be trifled with.

Several pedestrians who have gathered the urge to step closer to the mystery woman, flee as a bird of mythical proportions, with golden feathers and a crown of small, ruby ones flutters down, perching neatly on her outstretched arm.

"It has been a long time old friend", she says, stroking the bird's neck fondly as it coos with pleasure.

The mystery woman tills her head up to gaze up the stairs of the Hinata Sou.

"I hope you are ready for me little sister,", she says, her mouth curling into an amused smile, "you too…Koi-kun".

* * *

---Author Notes---

I'm splitting this in two again, another chapter that seems to have taken on a life of its own, the second half will be posted when I'm done with it, gomen for any inconvenience

On the plus side, hooray for plot development lol…. Think things will go easy now that out new couple are together again at last? I wouldn't bet on it hehehehe

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	7. Chapter4: Promise:Twin Blades, Fight 2

Chapter four: Promise: Twin Blades, Fight! (Part II) 

Motoko awoke slowly, her head cushioned on something warm and strong. Instinctively she moved closer to the source of that warmth, sighing happily.

There was a stifled giggle from somewhere nearby. Motoko groaned in her state of semi-wakefulness and tried to will the sound that disturbed her to go away.

Unfortunately it seemed her groan had drawn another observer, as the first giggle was joined by another and muted chatter.

Motoko opened bleary eyes and found Su crouched near her bed, a smile that should not have been possible on her tanned face.

"Su?", Motoko asked sleepily, "What are you doing in here?".

Su seemed to find this question funny as she looked at someone off to her right and giggled and.

Motoko followed her gaze, finding that she was not alone. Shinobu hovered nervously near the doorway, turning her face away in embarrassment when Motoko looked at her.

"Shinobu? What's going on, what are you both doing?"

"Motoko-sempai, y-you, y-you…"

"You and Koi-kun got freaky", Su finished for the shy girl, her eyes shining.

"What!", Motoko asked, a lot more awake now. Her attention was drawn back to the warm object she was lying against, and her eyes tracked reluctantly down, confirming what she already knew.

Koichi was there, oblivious to the world and snoring gently in his sleep.

"I'm gonna go tell everyone the good news!", Su said, leaping up and heading for the door.

"No Su wait!", Motoko called desperately after her, throwing back the covers to reveal the robes she had been wearing the previous night and nearly bowling poor Shinobu over in her attempts to reach Su.

Koichi rolled over and continued to snore.

* * *

At breakfast Motoko felt as if her face was on fire. Even though she had caught up with Su before she could begin yelling from the roof of the Hinata Sou, she still felt as if everyone at the table was staring at her knowingly.

It was all in her head of course. The other residents, well the only other two there apart from Su and Shinobu, were merely curious as to why Koichi and Motoko were sitting so close to each other that morning. Motoko's mind however, turned their inquisitive stares into condemning glares and she felt a little ashamed, even knowing that nothing had transpired between her and Koichi the previous night.

Kitsune was thankfully still asleep, so Motoko would in theory have chance to talk to her before Su gave the fox girl her own interpretation of the previous nights events.

She glanced discreetly at Koichi, who didn't seem to be bothered by Naru and Keitaro's glances; indeed he didn't seem to notice anything other than Shinobu's meal.

She could have kicked him. How dare he not have the common decency to feel at least as uncomfortable as she did.

Koichi spotted her looking at him and smiled lopsidedly.

Motoko sighed internally. Men were so clueless sometimes.

Suddenly Koichi's head snapped around, and he was starring with poorly concealed fright at the door to the living area.

"Koichi?", she asked, placing an hand on his arm, shaking him gently when he didn't respond, "Koichi, what's wrong".

"No, it can't have been a month already", he said, his voice tense and low, as if he were trying to convince himself.

"Wait here Motoko", he said standing, the look in his face that of a man about to face his doom.

Without waiting for a reply he swallowed deeply and left the room.

* * *

Koichi felt as if his muscles were slowly liquefying, sapping his ability to move. His suspicion had been right, that Ki couldn't have belonged to anyone else but _her_.

Tsuruko.

"Greetings brother-in-law to be", the elder Aoyama sister said, smiling at him from where she sat on the smaller of the living area's couches and removing her hat, "It is good to see you".

"Likewise, I trust you are well Tsuruko-sama", he said, his voice guarded. Anyone familiar with her knew that Tsuruko didn't make idle house calls, even to relatives, and her choice of greeting implied the reason for this little visit.

"Why so formal Koi-kun? That's no way to greet your sister-in-law".

Koichi grimaced inside but kept his face neutral.

"Koichi?", Motoko said, stepping around to his side, wondering what had so frightened her boyfriend. She froze when she spotted her sister.

"Ane-ue?" she said, repressing the urge to hide behind Koichi. The last few times she had seen Tsuruko had been rather…tense, to put it mildly.

"Ah, there you are Motoko-chan, I was just saying…", she trailed off, peering at Motoko's right hip before turning a gaze that somehow managed to be chilling without any change for expression, on Koichi.

"She does not wear the _Sword of Two Souls_ Koi-kun, I would like an explanation", she said, her voice matching her stare.

"It has not yet been a month Tsuruko-sama, I was promised a month", he said, quaking inside at his own boldness in not answering her question first.

"A month for what?", Motoko asked, worried when Koichi wouldn't look at her, "Koi-kun, a month for what?".

"Your time has expired Koichi, we have been monitoring it closely…or do you suggest I would lie?"

Koichi shuddered involuntarily at the subtext behind that simple question. He would never suggest such a thing to her face; he valued his life to much.

"No", he ground out.

"Koichi", Motoko said sternly, bring his attention back to her, "A month for what?"

"He was granted a month to find you, and convince you to become his bride", Tsuruko answered for him, "As you know little sister, there has always been a certain amount of … rivalry, between the Clans. It was believed that a union between two members of our schools would help allay any hostilities. With the promise made between you as children, you were the obvious choice".

Motoko looked between Koichi and her sister disbelievingly, "Then…you mean the only reason you are here is to complete an arranged marriage?".

"No", Koichi said, shaking his head violently, "I came here for the reasons I stated. My father was opposed to this, as were certain members of your own family, so I was placed under a one month restriction…I'm sorry Motoko-chan, I thought I had more time…".

Motoko took in all of this new information, trying to figure out what it all meant.

"…Now that your time is up, what will happen now?", she asked him, almost not wanting to here the answer as a look of pain twisted his features.

Once again it was her sister who answered, "With the agreed upon period expired, Koichi must return with me to his family…He must never see you again Motoko-chan".

Motoko felt as if an icy hand had reached inside her chest and squeezed.

"I am truly sorry little sister", Tsuruko said, smiling sympathetically, "Koichi, collect your belongings, I think it best we leave immediately so as not to prolong my sister's suffering".

Koichi clenched his fist, trying to catch Motoko's eye to tell her how sorry he was, but she stared at the floor, her hair hiding any last glimpse of her face from him.

Heartbroken, he shuffled past her.

A hand lanced out, wrapping around his wrist with a grip of steel. Koichi looked back in surprise, following the hand back to its owner.

Motoko looked at him with a piercing gaze.

"Koi-kun…do you love me?"

Koichi was taken aback by her question. He turned around to face her, placing his free hand over the one she had used to stop him, "Aishete, Motoko-chan".

Her face lit up in a wonderful smile before she turned to her sister, iron hard determination radiating palatably from her.

"I fear I can not accept this sister", she said, proud that her voice did not shake.

"It is not your choice to make Motoko-chan", the older woman said sadly.

"Yes…Yes it is", Motoko said, a little stunned by her own continued defiance, "This not something I will sit idly by and allow to happen".

Tsuruko smiled proudly up at her younger sister. _Motoko-chan, how you have grown, willing to fight the will of the Clans for one man_.

"…Very well, he may stay"

Motoko was momentarily speechless that her sister had heeded her, "Th-thank you ane-ue, I-"

"Under one condition".

Motoko braced herself for what she knew was coming. Her sister had challenged her before, and Motoko knew she could win. It would not be easy, but it could be done.

"He", Tsuruko said, looking at Koichi, "Must defeat me in battle".

Koichi swallowed audiably and Motoko felt her knees threaten to give. Tsuruko had challenged Koichi?

"M-me?", he asked nervously.

"Yes little one", she said laughing politely at the way his spine stiffened when she said that, "You are the one who wishes her hand in marriage, so you are the one who must face down the judgement of the Clans… Do you accept my terms?".

Koichi couldn't believe what she was asking. No one in any battle ever recorded had defeated the Aoyama sister's. It was they who made the Gods Cry School the envy of the other Clans.

He looked at Motoko, expecting to see the same fear reflected in her eyes…and found only determination.

"…Yes", he said, still looking at Motoko not Tsuruko, "I accept your terms".

Pride beamed across Motoko's face, making Koichi feel as if he were accepting something mundane as an invitation to tea.

"Very well", the elder Aoyama said, carefully hiding her smile. She had not missed the unspoken exchange between Koichi and her sister, "You will have two days to prepare…I suggest you use them wisely".

With that she stood gracefully, bowing slightly to each of them and leaving.

"What the hell did we just get ourselves into?", Koichi asked.

Motoko grabbed his hand and began dragging him bodily behind her, "We don't have time, we must begin to prepare immediately".

His protests were cut off as she hauled him up the stairs.

"Hello?", called a timid voice, as Shinobu stuck her head in from the kitchen, looking around the empty living area, "That's strange, I could have sworn I heard Motoko and Koichi talking to someone in here just now".

* * *

"Hey, you could take someone's eye out with that thing", Koichi said, knocking the tip of Motoko's bokken wide as it screamed in toward his face.

"Concentrate!", she yelled, flicking the blade down toward his ankles only to be intercepted in the nick of time, "I nearly had you"

"Not a chance", he shot back, forcing her blade wide again and snapping a kick out at her midsection that she easily pivoted around before ducking and sweeping his leg.

Koichi yelped a little as his balance abruptly vanished, one hand flashing out to catch himself and propel him up and over a low swing from Motoko.

Motoko eyed him warily as he landed a little way away from her and reset his guard. Now that he was no longer trying to hide it, she could see that he was a proficient swordsman, perhaps even a Blademaster. His movements had no wasted energy or flourish, but neither were they stilted or awkward.

In short, he was good, but was he good enough to take on Tsuruko successfully? That was what worried her. In this entire match, all five hours of it, he had yet to use a Ki attack that she could discern. He was relying solely on the standard movements of the art, and that just wouldn't cut it against as an experienced opponent as her sister.

Motoko was a tad annoyed wit him, she was sure he could manipulate his Ki, in fact, she had seen him do it…hadn't she? Surely that whole thing hadn't just been some kind of illusion.

She used their pause to read him again. She was still detecting no advanced spiritual energy from him.

_He must be hiding it somehow_, she reasoned, _well he can't do this against Sister. I must _make_ him release his power_.

Channelling some of her internal energy into her muscles, Motoko moved with blinding speed across the distance, he bokken blurring toward his neck.

Koichi's eyes widened and he ducked, feeling the wind of the attack pass over his head by millimetres.

"What was that all about Motoko-chan?"

"Don't call me that when we fight! As far as you are concerned, I am Tsuruko", she said, unleashing another flurry of Ki enhanced chops and strikes at him that he barely kept up with.

"You sure don't look like her", he said with the smile that she usually found endearing, but not now. Now it meant he wasn't taking this seriously.

"You need to calm down a little Motoko-chan, you're gonna burst a vessel or something".

"Baka!", she shouted, swinging with enough strength that it hurled him back a few paces, "Shut up and fight!"

Koichi obliged, suddenly moving almost fast enough to match her, and fast enough to place her on the defensive.

Motoko felt something flare. The briefest release of Ki and he was above her, face down, bokken swinging in toward her head. She smiled tightly as she blocked. This was what she had wanted; he was taking this training match a little more seriously. They had only two days to get him ready and that meant she needed to know the full extent of all of his abilities so that she could best advise him.

_That's it Koichi, show me your real strength_.

Koichi landed, barely touching down before he was on the attack again, pressing her back, bokken moving like a thing alive. This was good but she suspected he could do better.

Drawing on her full strength Motoko was on the assault again, occasionally landing a hit as he tried to reverse modes into defensive without success.

He blade lanced out, striking his wrist hard, causing him to drop his own weapon.

Motoko didn't hesitate, she rotated her own wrist, intending to tap his neck to indicate a kill.

She watched in slow motion as her bokken tracked upward, saw the look of understanding dawn on Koichi's face. There was a massive surge of Ki energy and then… he was gone.

Motoko stumbled a little as her weapon ripped through empty air.

What had just happened? People didn't just vanish into thin air, that was impossible. Motoko replayed the last few seconds in her mind. She had nearly tagged him when…when he had blurred for a spilt second, just as she had felt that burst of spiritual power, and in that second, he had begun to move away from her attack.

Koichi hadn't vanished at all, he had simply used his Ki to accelerate his body at a level far beyond anything she had ever been taught at the Gods Cry School.

_Is the one of the secret techniques of the Oni's Bane School_, she wondered, eyes alert and scanning for some sign of Koichi, for what little good it would do.

Motoko felt another flare of Ki and spun, bokken whipping around ahead of her.

When she caught up with her movement she froze for a second until rage replaced surprise on her face.

"Can't you ever be serious!", Motoko yelled at the black-clad form perched upon the flat of her blade. This proved her earlier assumptions about the new house guest. Firstly he was a Ki adept, and judging by the lack of noticeable weight on the blade, he must be exerting an incredible amount of spiritual strength to achieve a form of semi-levitation.

Secondly he was clearly a fool. As impressive as his little manoeuvre was, he had dropped his own blade in the process, leaving him unarmed and a simple wrist-flick away from a sound stabbing.  
"Hmmmm", he said, putting a finger to his chin as if genuinely considering her earlier outburst, before smiling lopsidedly and replying, "Nope, guess not".

"Grrrhhhh!" she raged in spite of herself, this man surpassed the Keitaro of the early days in terms of annoyance, talented but cocky to a fault.

Throwing form aside she hurled him bodily to the ground using his 'perch'.

"Hey!" he complained, his grin never slipping even as he impacted "wasn't that a little sloppy for you?"

Motoko's eyebrow twitched dangerously even as another idea slipped into her opponent's mind. Perhaps Kitsune was right, perhaps he really was a masochist, but he figured: _What the hell_.

"Not that I mind", he said casually, resting on his elbows even as his survival instinct caught wind of his intention and screamed a heart felt: _Flee you fool! You know not your peril!_.

"You know how I love it when you get rough with me Motoko-_chan_", he finished with his best smile.

Tsuruko would have been proud of the fear inducing demon-glare her younger sister gave her upstart of an opponent.

"Err", he said showing uncertainty for the first time since the fight began, while his survival instinct hung it's figurative head and wept, giving him a pretty clear idea what was coming next.

"Hey, I think I may have-"

"Silence! _Boulder cutting blade!_"

The wave of Ki swept Koichi up in it's wake, tossing him like a leaf on the wind before dumping him roughly down again about ten metres away.

"Ow!", he complained, "That hurt Motoko!".

"Good! Maybe you'll take this a little more seriously now. Do you want Sister to take you away from me?".

Koichi's face softened as he began to understand the source of the younger Aoyama sister's intensity, "You know I don't Motoko".

"Good", she said, not letting the smile she wanted to show onto her face as she retrieved his weapon and tossed it toward him, "Because I don't want that either".

Koichi snagged the wooden blade out of the air and stood, dusting himself off.

"Round two?" he guessed.

"Not exactly…Koichi, you've been holding back on me haven't you?"

"Why would you say that?"

"You've yet to use a single Ki attack other than that speed alteration you made just. If you don't let me know what you can do then I can't help you defeat Sister, and believe me, you will need all the help you can get", she said seriously.

Koichi sighed and nodded reluctantly, "True…If that's the way you want it Motoko, then here goes".

Holding the blade at one side as if sheaved, Koichi closed his eyes, falling into himself and finding his centre. He released his carefully controlled Ki, another technique taught solely by the Oni's Bane School to conserve energy, allowing to to flow out from his body and into the waiting weapon.

"Ok Motoko", he said, opening his eyes and locking on to were she stood, bokken raised in preparation to defend against his attack, "I hope you're ready for this. _Serpent's Strike!_".

The snake-like attack hurtled toward Motoko as she looked on calmly, waiting for just the right moment.

"_Boulder cutting blade!_", she shouted, unleashing her own power in opposition.

The two attacks collided, and with a violent thunderclap that tore up the earth beneath were they hit, vanished from regular sight, leaving a multicoloured haze over than area that only the two combatants could see.

"…That was it?", Motoko asked, feeling her anger rise again, "Why did you not strike with your full power?".

"What are you talking about! I did!", Koichi shouted with a little hurt pride.

Motoko felt her hopes sink a little, if that was the extent of his power, then they were doomed.

She asked him to repeat the attack for the next few minutes, but it wa no good, he couldn't produce anything stronger. He revealed to her that the Oni's Bane school believed in stamina, endurance, skill and speed above raw power, that was why he knew of no more powerful techniques and also why he had been able to move like he did and conceal his real strength while living in the same house as her.

Motoko was still hopeful that he could win. No one had speed like that in the Gods Cry School, not even her sister.

* * *

Motoko and Koichi spent that night together as they had the previous, talking about everything they would do after he won. Or rather Koichi talked and Motoko listened, just happy to be spending what might be their last days with each other together.

As she felt sleep beckoning, Motoko could only hope that nights like these awaited her in the future.

Only time would tell.

* * *

---Author Notes---

Hopefully that wasn't too obvious, anyway, chapter five: Steel cutting Rose, will be up tomorrow all things permitting.

Points to address: I apologise for the weirdness of the last paragraph in the previous chapter. I was trying to create dramatic tension but re-reading it I don't really like how it turned out, I may change it later.

After Chapter 5 there is only one maybe two left to go, so stick around

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	8. Chapter 5: Steel cutting Rose

Chapter five: Steel cutting Rose

Motoko sat quietly in Koichi's room as he tied the on the black sash that would hold the top of his white Gi together. They had decided that using his training outfit would be best. The lack of sleeves ensured the slightest hint of extra manoeuvrability that wouldn't be afford by his regular clothes, and he needed every edge.

Koichi walked silently to the closest and removed the blade she had learned was called the _Sword of Two Souls_, and held it contemplatively.

Without saying anything, he sat down in front of Motoko and held it out towards her.

"…Koichi…I can-", she began, but he silenced her with a slow shake of his head.

"I'm not asking that of you Motoko…If I lose this duel", he held up a hand to forestall any argument, "If I lose…I want you to hold on to this, at least that way part of me can remain behind".

Motoko looked into the serious features of the man she had come to love…had loved since she was a child. That hardness was almost painful. His was a face for smiling and carefree laughter, not this.

"You won't lose", she said, "I know you won't".

He smiled wanly in the face of her confidence in him.

"Besides", she continued, "You will need this to fight. My sister won't be satisfied with using training blades in something so important".

Koichi blinked as if that had not occurred to him, and glanced sadly down at the sword she cradled gently in her slender hands.

"I can't use it", he admitted, "I can't even draw it. That's why it's so special to the Oni's Bane School, this blade holds a secret that only the one who can wield it will ever know…and that person isn't me".

Motoko clasped the handle of the blade and pulled. It remained in its sheave as though nothing was happening.

Grunting, Motoko put Ki enhanced muscle behind the movement…it still refused to budge.

She looked down at the sword angrily; if Koichi didn't have a weapon then he couldn't take part. They would lose by default.

Motoko stood and left without a word, returning a few minutes later with the _Sword of Two Souls_ tucked into the sash of her robes and the _Hina_ under one arm.

"If you need a blade, take mine", she said, understanding the look of shock that crossed his face. For a swordswoman to offer another her blade was a serious matter.

Koichi reached up with shaking hands and took the proffered weapon, bowing his head deeply as he did so.

Motoko knelt down in front of him, lifting his head with her hands and kissing him as passionately as she dared, not willing to release him even when asphyxiation threatened to take hold.

"I think I just remembered why I plan to win this", he joked, panting shallowly.

"Baka", she murmured affectionately, hitting him lightly.

His smile faded, and his eyes assumed a far away expression, his face contracting and reassuming the serious mien that was so foreign to it.

"She's here", he whispered, barely loud enough for Motoko to here. There was no need to ask who he meant by 'She'.

Motoko wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. She knew he wasn't mistaken, the Oni's Bane school had focused on the subtler aspects of the Art, Ki reading being one of them. Motoko had been able to confirm what he said a few seconds of active searching later.

"Let's do this", he said, that heartbreaking hardness still dominating his features.

Rising, they walked at a subdued pace toward the source of that Ki. For better or worse toward the future.

* * *

Tsuruko stood in the courtyard of the Hinata Sou, she could sense Motoko's flame next to the smaller spiritual signature that she knew belonged to Koichi. He was masking, that much was clear, the Oni's Bane School was famous in certain circles for their reliance on that tactic, luring less experienced fighters into a false sense of superiority. 

She sincerely hoped Koi-kun wasn't relying on such cheap trickery to defeat her.

Tsuruko sighed. Why was it always she who ended up delivering her younger sister's hardest lessons?

She would battle Koichi with everything she had, no quarter given, but she held a small hope that he would prove equal to the task. She did not want to be the one who broke Motoko's heart.

* * *

Shinobu was staring at the dish in her hand. She had been in fact, for the past half an hour. Today was the day that would either grant Motoko-sempai's fondest dream, or seal her in her worst nightmare. 

The blue haired girl felt an empathic tear run down her face. They had all felt hurt when Keitaro chose Naru-sempai, but she could imagine the pain Motoko would feel if the only other man she loved were ripped out of her life.

Koichi had informed her of the duel that was scheduled to take place. She had a hard time believing Tsuruko-sama could be so cruel.

She thought back to her conversation with Koichi the previous night, when he had been helping her clear away and wash all the dishes from the evening's meal:

"Thank you for offering to help me with this Koichi-sempai", Shinobu said, smiling a smile she would never have managed before moving into the Hinata Sou.

"_Don't worry about it", he said. Shinobu frowned slightly, his voice was much quieter than she had come to expect from the boisterous older man. Had he had a fight with Motoko-sempai? They hadn't seemed angry with each other at diner._

"_Is something wrong sempai?"_

_He was quiet for a while before putting down the dish he was washing and answering._

"_I might have to leave the Hinata Sou soon…"_

_Shinobu blinked in confusion, "Why? Did something happen between you and Motoko-sempai?"_

"_No", he said shaking his head sadly, and proceeded to tell her all about Tsuruko's visit and her proclamation._

_Shinobu was shocked to find out just how long Koichi had really known Motoko, and that he had made a promise to wed her as a child, a promise that he and Motoko's elders had caught rumour of and twisted to their own benefit._

_She felt angry when he told her the conditions of the duel, and sad for both him and Motoko._

"_I just wanted to let every know, that way no one has to be shocked when I disappear…"_

"_Don't say things like that sempai!", Shinobu said, scolding him, "Motoko-sempai would be devastated if you lost, you have to win for her sake"._

_Koichi looked at her stunned. In all the time he had been there he had never seen her act anything close to forceful._

_Reaching out he ruffled her hair the way he would Su's, smiling appreciatively, "Thank you Shinobu-chan"._

_The younger girl blushed slightly and murmured something in reply._

_Koichi bowed to her, making her blush worse, "Motoko is lucky to have friends like you, I only hope I won't let you all down by hurting her"._

_His face became more serious._

"I want you and the others to stay away from the fight tomorrow", he said, dismissing any protests, "I know you want to cheer me and Motoko on, but if I'm to fight at my best, I can't do that worrying if I'll hit any of you guys…"

Shinobu placed the unfinished dish back amongst the pile of dirties. Could they really just stand by while their friends futures were decided without them?

* * *

Su was lying on one of the branches of her favourite tree. Most people would have found it strange to have a miniature jungle in ones room, but for Su it was perfectly normal, it reminded her of her childhood back in Mol-Mol, sneaking out of the palace at night to sleep under the stars, and consequently driving her caretakers and older sister mad. 

Amala. Strange that she hadn't thought about her elder sister since receiving word that she had married big brother. Of course he wasn't really her elder brother, he was a cousin but he, Amala and she had been raised together, so they thought of each other as close siblings.

In some countries it might be considered strange to marry ones cousin, but Amala was happy, so who were they to judge, besides, the marrying of cousins occurred in most royal families around the globe.

The thought of marriage and couples brought her back to the subject she had been trying to forget. Koi-kun was to battle Motoko's elder sister today, and if he lost he would have to leave them all behind…and she had been forbidden from interfering.

_Knock knock._

_Su dropped from the branch she had her legs wrapped around, setting down the machinery she was tinkering with and spitting the spare screwdriver out of her mouth._

_"Coming!", she shouted, skipping over to her door and throwing it aside. Motoko and Koi-kun stood there, both wearing sombre expressions._

"_What's wrong with you two?", Su asked cheerfully, hoping that would bring her friends out of their bad moods, and adding with a sly wink, "Run out of ideas already?"._

_Motoko didn't even blush. This scared Su a little; it meant something was seriously wrong._

"_We need to talk to you Su", Koi-kun said slowly, "do you mind if we come in?"_.

Su shifted around on to her back. They had told her that Koi-kun would have to leave if he lost the duel with Tsuruko…and that they wanted her and the others to stay clear of the duel, so that they weren't hurt.

The young Mol-Molian girl felt tears building in her usually clear green eyes. If Koi-kun left she would lose one of her favourite playmates. Not only that but it would tear her best friend, Motoko, apart.

Kaolla lay there for a few minutes, when a slow smile began to spread across her face. Since when had Kaolla Su ever listened to what others told her to do? Now, just where was that proton cannon?

* * *

Kitsune was leaning back against the counter of the Hinata Teahouse. 

It should be happening any time now. The duel that determined whether or not Motoko ever smiled again.

The fox girl shook her head ruefully at that rather melodramatic thought, but unfortunately it was probably closer to the truth than any of them would like to believe.

Koichi had filled her in on the details and she had been worried he'd have a breakdown then and there, but he'd forced himself to stay strong.

That look on his face, that out of place hardness had scared her a little, but she'd been unsure what she could to help, so she had just wished him well, not saying anything when he requested that she and the others stay away from the fighting.

It just didn't seem right to the fox girl. Being made to go through something like that.

If Tsuruko won, Kitsune wouldn't be the only one who had lost Koichi, and that just didn't sit well with her.

Tossing her apron over a handy chair, Kitsune made her way towards the Hinata Sou.

* * *

Koichi and Motoko stood in front of the door to the courtyard, neither moving to open it. Once they did, there was no way back from that moment. 

Koichi was the one to break the stillness.

Placing a shaking hand on the handle, he drew the door aside and stepped out into the suddenly blinding sun.

"What took you so long Koi-kun?", a vibrant voice asked as his vision began to clear.

Koichi looked down uncomprehending at the blond haired girl standing in front of him with a cheerful expression.

"Su?", he looked around, not believing his eyes. Everyone from the Hinata Sou was gathered out in the courtyard. Shinobu, Su, Naru and Keitaro, and even Kitsune. They were all there.

"What are you all doing here, we asked you to-"

"To stay away for our own safety blah, blah, blah", Kitsune cut him off, "Did you really think we were gonna sit around while our friends went through something like this sugar?".

Koichi watched as one after the other, the rest of the tenants voiced similar statements.

"Thank you all", Motoko said for him, smiling at everyone in turn.

"I hate to interrupt", cut in Tsuruko's voice, "But I believe we have business to attend to".

Koichi stepped away from the crowd, the _Hina_ clasped firmly at his waist, "You're right. I'll be back in a minute guys".

"Confident that you'll win?", Tsuruko said sounding amused as she walked to stand opposite him, her hand resting on her own blade.

"Yeah", he said, tightening his own grip and adding under his breath, "I have to…".

"Very well, I admire your spirit Koi-kun…now", she said widening the set of her feet, "Come at me".

Koichi obliged.

"_Serpent's Strike!_"

Tsuruko smoothly drew her blade, lifting it almost casually and batting away her opponents Ki strike. She quickly stabbed the sword over her own shoulder and there was the clash of steel on steel as a surprised Koichi blurred into view behind her.

Moving like a viper, Tsuruko drove her blade around in an arc, pivoted and delivered a powerful blow to his face with her free hand.

Koichi staggered for a second, barely bringing up is blade in time to stop a flurry of lightening fast cuts from his opponent.

He blocked high, moving a fraction of a second to slow and receiving a gash across his arm for his inattention.

Koichi imagined that he could hear Motoko gasp.

Leaping backward to gain distance and unleashing another attack that was knocked aside as easily as the first.

His figure blurred again and he reappeared at Tsuruko's side, vanishing again as she began swinging in his direction. He materialised above her and chopped down, only to find her blade already set to defend, stopping him in midair.

_How is she doing that!_, he screamed in his mind, he knew that she couldn't be following his movements, yet she was always ready to intercept whatever he tried. He recalled the last minute advise Motoko had given him. How her sister liked to judge the skill of her opponent before unleashing her own power, so he would need to go all out and finish things quickly.

He drew deeply on his Ki, for a second moving so fast he seemed to be either side of his opponent simultaneously.

_Let's see her block this!_, he thought, "_Serpent's Strike!"_.

Koichi reappeared some distance away as the two snakes of spiritual energy hurtled toward Tsuruko from the two points he had momentarily co-existed in.

"Block that", he wheezed, realising how much strength he had used up already in that little stunt as sweat dripped into his eyes, blinding him at the moment the two attacks converged on his opponent's position.

Swiping a hand across his eyes he tried to peer through the dust and debris kicked up upon impact. Had he won?

He got his answer when a shadow formed inside the dust cloud, and Tsuruko shot at him. He tried to accelerate his body again but couldn't. He could only look on in horror as she closed the distance, his Ki already spent.

* * *

Motoko watched the battle tensely, something was wrong. She had know Tsuruko outstripped Koichi in terms of raw strength, and had the slightest edge in skill, but she shouldn't have been beating him this easily!  
He was moving too fast to follow, and yet Tsuruko was there and ready to block every time he reappeared.  
There was something off about his movements as well. They seemed forced, awkward, like he was focusing more on them than on completing his goal. 

_He wasn't like this in training_, Motoko thought critically, trying to figure out what was wrong. An image of cold grey eyes flashed up and she ruthlessly fought it down. Now was not the time to be lingering on her boyfriends finer attributes.

The image refused to go away, it taunted Motoko as if she were over looking something of vital importance.

Suddenly it clicked. Those eyes. They were not the eyes of Koichi Sagura, they held no life, no laughter…

He was fighting without enjoying the thrill of the battle, and it was sapping his strength.

She heard Kitsune scream, and looked up as she saw Tsuruko flash by a stunned Koichi, a faint trail of red clinging to her blade, linking it for a second to the gash in the top half of his Gi near his stomach.

Motoko's scream joined Kitsune's as he began to fall backward, looking to her apologetically.

She reached him as he struck the ground with enough force to bounce up again before coming to a rest.

"Koichi!", she said lifting his head carefully onto her lap and examining his wound. She almost wilted with relief when she saw that is was not serious, just a little bloody.

"Sorry Motoko", he wheezed, "She's to good for me…Guess I screwed up huh?".

"Baka", she said affectionately, "You were trying to hard".

"What?", he asked, clearly confused.

"That's not the way you fight? There were no jokes, no laughter…"

"But this is serious"

"But _you_ aren't. Like you said, you can't put your heart into something you don't enjoy…You need to fight as yourself Koichi"

"But if I-"

Motoko put a finger over his lips to silence him, "Just fight as you Koichi, I know that man can win… Ready to try again?".

Koichi looked uncertain again for a second, before allowing her to help him to his feet.

"You wish to continue", Tsuruko said. It was not a question.

"Sure thing old lady", Koichi said, drawing a raised eyebrow from his opponent, "You think a little flesh wound like this would keep me down?".

He slapped his stomach for emphasis, whimpering slightly as he did so but trying not to show it.

He waited for Motoko to move back over to where the others stood before speaking again.

"Bring it on, I ain't got all day".

Tsuruko nodded and shot forward again, her Katana sweeping back in preparation for a swift finishing strike.

Koichi grinned at her merrily and pointed at the ground, "Your shoe's untied".

"What?", she asked, this rather unconventional tactic distracting her long enough that Koichi was able to parry her thrust and riposte, almost scoring a hit along her ribs as she sailed by.

She stopped her momentum dead with the tiniest application of Ki and rocketed back in his direction, trading blows while he grinned like an idiot, commenting on the unseasonably hot weather.

Tsuruko broke off her attack, gaining some distance. This was more like the challenge she had expected from one of the Oni's Bane School's top pupils. She wondered what Motoko had said to the boy.

She swept in again, her katana striking sparks along the ground as she swept it up toward his face. She was quite impressed when he somehow dodged.

"Close", he congratulated her as though she were a novice.

Tsuruko narrowed her eyes. She admired the younger man's spirit, but she would not stand for idle mockery.

Pivoting on her left foot she swept her leg out at his feet, slamming the tip of her blade out toward where his shoulder should be. It encountered nothing but air. Instead of trying to leap over her foot or away from it, he had rolled over her leg as she made to sweep him.

"Oh, so very close", he commented as he rolled back upright, blade held in a confident guard.

Tsuruko was forced to nod her head in respect for the young man's talents, she hadn't realised that there was anyone close to her and her sister's level.

_But now this must end, for Motoko's sake I will not drag this on any longer_

"_Stone cleaving sword!"_, she yelled, a wave of spiritual energy that dwarfed the woman it came from, ripped from the air her blade bisected, streaking toward her opponent.

_I'm sorry Motoko_, she thought, ready to sheave her blade, when something quite unexpected happened.

"Oh Tsuruko-sama", Koichi called in a sing song voice, causing her to turn her attention back to him, "_Soul mirror!_"

The elder Aoyama watched in stunned disbelief as her opponent jammed his blade into the ground in front of him.

As her attack neared the blade flared with white light and her Ki…rebounded. That was the only way to describe it, it was like watching a ball thrown at a brick wall returning to its owner. Only in this case the 'ball' would likely cause serious injury if caught incorrectly.

Tsuruko braced herself as the wave of reflected power drew near. She had heard about the many strange and unusual techniques developed by the Oni's Bane School, but never really believed some of the tales, just as she knew other Schools didn't believe in the legendary strength of the Gods Cry School. A strength she was ironically about to employ against itself.

Tsuruko raised her sword above her head as the attack neared. With a mighty swing she slammed her blade down into the Ki energy, cleaving to in two and dissipating it with one blow.

She was startled to realise that she was panting, and even sweating slightly. She had to end this soon; this boy was too full of surprises.

There was another flare of Ki near by and Tsuruko attacked.

* * *

Koichi watched as his opponent's attack was reflected back at her, struggling to think clearly over the omni-present drone of the _Hina's _sealed spirit and its constant entreaties and threats. Whatever happen now he was going to win. This was his trump card. One of his School's most secret and powerful techniques, bar one. That one could only be preformed with a huge amount of Ki, more than he had even when at full strength, and the dregs he was currently working with wouldn't come anywhere near the requirements. 

He had no doubt that Tsuruko would stop the wave of spiritual power, she was impossibly powerful, but hopefully the effort would weaken even one such as her long enough for a last ditch assault to work.

Waiting until the moment she released her power, pitting it against itself to stop the wave, he drew up every last scrap he could manage without killing himself.

_Now!_, quicker than a thought, he had crossed the distance, seeming to appear from nowhere behind Tsuruko as she finished stopping her reflected attack. He swung with all his remaining strength…And gasped in horror as he heard the ringing of two blades locked together.

Tsuruko had blocked his attack. Even with half or more of her power gone, and her body weary, she had still somehow been able to track his last movement and guess how and where he would attack.

He watched, detached as she forced his blade wide, circling her own underneath it and with a flick of her wrist, sending it flying out of his grasp and down the steps of the Hinata Sou.

Koichi felt cold and drained, she had won. Even before his body lost its remaining momentum and crashed to the ground he knew that she had won. He had no Ki left, and no blade to fight with, he had been out muscled and outclassed and he knew it.

_I'm sorry Motoko, I tried_, he thought sadly closing his eyes and waiting for her to finish it.

The blow never came.

He opened his eyes slowly. Tsuruko stood over him, a sorry look on her face as her blade began to move toward him…All in slow motion. He was still moving at an accelerated rate.

How was that possible? He had no Ki left, so how could he be maintaining this power?

He closed his eyes again, falling in toward his centre, where his spiritual power normally resided.

As he had thought, there was only the faintest of trickles there. However there was also something else. A gently pulsing light that made him feel warm and safe at the same time. A voice seemed to echo from this light, urging him to stand, to fight, to win. It was not the sinister, bloodthirsty voice of the _Hina_, but something more familiar, and infinitely more welcome. It was the voice of Motoko.

The light pulsed in time with his own heartbeat, as did Motoko. He touched the light wonderingly, feeling his own power being restored.

He opened his eyes, watching with disinterest as Tsuruko's blade continued it's downward path, now seeming to move even slower.

He looked over to where Motoko stood, shouting something at him in slow motion, fear but also something else shining clear in her eyes… faith.

His eyes were drawn down to the sword at her hip, and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. He could now see a faint cord of light connected between him and Motoko via the sword.

_The Sword of Two Souls, the blade that can be drawn by no one man alone_, he thought, something his sister had once read to him from their families scrolls suddenly making sense.

He looked up at Tsuruko and winked, knowing that he was moving to quickly for her to register the movement, and willed himself to be by Motoko.

The world reverted to normal speed as he appeared next to her, the other housemates reacting with various degrees of shock while Su gave a loud, "Now that was cool!".

Motoko looked at him in shock and then back at her sister, who, having found her target suddenly absent, was almost glaring at him.

"You are defenceless Koichi, yield", she said.

Koichi ignored her as he turned back to Motoko.

"I need to borrow this", he said to her, putting a hand on the pommel of the _Sword of Two Souls_ and pulling.

The blade slid free with barely a whisper and Motoko looked at him questioningly.

"I can draw it now, because I have a reason", he said, kissing her briefly and turning back to Tsuruko and vanishing.

Koichi reappeared in front of the elder Aoyama, several meters separating them.

Tsuruko raised an eyebrow at the bare blade now clenched in his hand and he smiled in return.

"You were able to draw it?"

"Yes"

Tsuruko smiled happily at him, confusing him.

"I see…You truly do love her don't you?"

Koichi felt himself colour a little, but his answer was firm, "Yes".

"Very well, shall we finish the formalities…Brother-in-law"

Koichi felt his trademark lopsided grin spread across his face, and he twirled the _Sword of Two Souls_ about his body before driving it into the ground between them and closing his eyes as he stepped a little way away from it, "By all means".

The raven-haired woman looked at him sceptically before an understanding dawned on her face and she chuckled slightly.

Tsuruko raised her blade vertically, the pommel held near her left shoulder.

"_Oni's Bane School:_", Koichi began as she set her feet.

"_Ultimate Technique_", Tsuruko charged, her battle cry the only sound in the courtyard as the others watched with baited breath.

Koichi saw every moment he had spent with Motoko up until then flash before his eyes. He recalled seeing her for the first time since they were children, he remembered thinking how truly beautiful she had become. He remembered seeing her naked in the Hot Springs, moonlight reflecting off her perfect skin. He remembered their first date…their first kiss.

And he remembered a promise made to a little girl. One he had no intention of breaking.

He touched the pulsing light he felt inside, drawing power from it, filling himself till he feared he'd burst and then some.

_Motoko_.

An aura of pure white flared around the _Sword of Two Souls_ and it was launched into the air.

Koichi's eyes snapped open and he blurred forward, grabbing the blade and swinging with all his strength, "_Steel cutting Rose!_"

A twister of energy screamed loose from the glowing blade, hurling dirt and discharges of power indiscriminately as it roared toward the charging Tsuruko.

The whirlwind of power swept over the Gods Cry Master, tossing her into the air with ease and trapping her at its centre.

Tsuruko struggled, heaving all of her strength against the impossibly strong winds, but to no avail.

_It's like I'm not fighting just Koichi, it…_, her thought trailed off as the obviousness of the truth hit her at the same time Koichi appeared in front of her.

She smiled at the younger man, understanding where his strength came from, it was the same strength she had, and now so did Motoko, it was just being used rather more directly than she had ever thought to do so.

Slash. There was pain across her midsection and Koichi vanished, only to reappear at her side.

Slash.

He appeared behind her.

Slash.

Slash

* * *

Outside of the raging storm, Motoko watched on anxiously. Suddenly Koichi blurred into view again, turning back to watch the twister he had somehow summoned as it began to collapse in on itself, folding in until suddenly it burst, opening like a flower. 

From inside Tsuruko drifted down as if cradled lovingly by the very wind that had sort to destroy her.

She was deposited on her knees a little way from Koichi, her sword landing some distance away with a loud _clang_.

Her clothes were torn an bloodied and Motoko was about to rush to her side when she looked up and smiled beautifully at Koichi.

"I yield", she said, loud enough for all to hear, bowing to her opponent as best she was able.

Koichi bowed back to her and looked over to Motoko, the happiness in his eyes mirrored by her own.

His eyes rolled back and the _Sword of Two Souls_ fell limply from his grasp as he plummeted to the ground.

"Koichi!", Motoko was at his side in an instant, lifting him gently and checking his pulse and breathing.

He was ok. He had most likely just passed out from exhaustion. Truth be told she felt a little drained herself for reasons she couldn't explain.

Motoko brushed away some stray strands of his messy hair lovingly, chuckling at the goofy smile that he unconsciously wore.

He had done it; they could now be together without fear of the Clans interfering.

"You've done well Motoko", Tsuruko said, smiling at the tender sight before her, "He will make a fine Husband for you one day".

"Yes", Motoko said absently, still stroking his face, "He will".

The rest of the residents rushed over to congratulate Motoko and to offer Tsuruko assistance with her injuries, although Kitsune seemed inclined to leave her as she was.

Through out all the well wishing and pre-celebration cheering, Koichi slept peacefully.

Motoko looked at all her friends and smiled. Her future was brighter now, and even though he couldn't express it, she was sure the man she loved felt the same.

* * *

---Author Notes--- 

One chapter left to bring this to a close; I hope you've all enjoyed the ride so far.

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	9. Chapter 6: Together Always

Chapter six: Together Always

Motoko smiled at her reflection. The mirror cast back the image of a beautiful, confident woman dressed solely in white. Her long ebony hair spilling out over her shoulders and haloing her porcelain face.

It had been eight months since Koichi had defeated Tsuruko for the right to stay by her side, and on this day, they were to finally make that right official and binding.

Motoko Aoyama was to be wed.

The door of the tiny room she sat in creaked open and closed again as Naru slipped inside.

"You look beautiful Motoko", she said, addressing her friends reflection, her voice taking on an amused air, "Although somehow I always thought I'd be the one getting married first".

The older girl twisted the engagement band that graced her slender finger, somehow succeeding in smiling and frowning at the same time.

"I'm sure you and Urashima will finalise things eventually", Motoko said without looking around, knowing that such a thing could well take years. It didn't matter; Naru and Keitaro were already close enough to married without a bit of paper to confirm it in the eyes of the law. There was no rush.

Naru nodded, clasping her hands behind her back and walking over to her friend.

"Nervous?"

Motoko snorted a laugh, "You have no idea"

"Sure you want to go through with it?"

"Yes", Motoko said without hesitation.

Naru smiled again, that warm understanding smile that few but her closest friends ever got to see.

Wishing the younger woman well one final time, Naru slipped back out of the room, muttering to herself about keeping tabs on a certain 'pervert'.

_"So, it's a promise?"_

Motoko swivelled on her chair to regard the spectral figure of a little boy with sea grey eyes.

She watched as the younger version of herself appeared in front of him, hands playing with her robes and blushing shyly.

_"Yes Koi-kun, it's a promise, I won't forget you………you and me, together always"_

_"Together always, man and wife"_

Motoko smiled as the image faded, lifting the cloth of pure white silk over her head.

"Promise kept Koi-kun", she whispered as she stood and swung the door aside.

_"Promise kept"._

* * *

---Author Notes--- 

And thus ends Love Hina: Blademasters

Continuation fics etc will depend solely on reviews, so keep that little button company, k guys.

Coming next: An Author's interview with Mutsumi Otohime

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell

(PM me with questions you would like to see answered.)


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